The Prime Ministers and I
by Lady Trueword
Summary: Based on the 2013-2014 Korean television show "Prime Minister and I / 총리와 나", this is the story of how Prime Minister Kwon Yul and journalist/writer Nam Dajeong reunite 10 years later, having found their happiness with the second leads. Warning: This fanfic does not contain a KwonJeong ending.
1. Chapter 1

**The Prime Ministers and I**

_This story is based on the 2013-2014 KBS TV series, "The Prime Minister and I"._

_WARNING: Not a KwonJeong ending. This story is for fans who want an alternate romantic ending with Dajeong and Inho, Yul and Hyejoo._

_If you are in a hurry to get to the heart of the drama, read Chapter 1 and then skip to Chapter 6 and start reading there. __Thanks for visiting! _

* * *

**Chapter 1: Ten Years Later**

Nam Dajeong smiled as she walked into the airport holding the hand of her five-year-old daughter, Sumi ("excellent beautiful girl"). The little lady with the pig tails turned to her mother with a grin and said, "omma, are we going to see appa today?"

Dajeong squeezed her daughter's hand and nodded.

"Yes, appa is finally back home after his trip to Thailand."

"Omma looks so pretty today."

Dajeong smoothed her shoulder-length hair and thought back to her younger days, when it hung down past her collar bone. Ever since she became an _omma_ she cut it shorter to suit her new lifestyle.

She looked up just as the paparazzi gathered around a gate, stirring a commotion.

"Chongri-nim! Prime Minister!" they shouted as a confident, stylish 46 year-old woman walked out of the concourse into their midst, flanked by her entourage.

"How would chongri-nim characterize this first overseas trip?" asked a reporter.

"How does chongri-nim plan to address our trade imbalance with Thailand?" asked another journalist before the others all chimed in with their questions.

Suddenly Sumi's face brightened and she yelled as loud as she could, "Appa! Appa!"

Dajeong tried to hold on to her, but the little girl broke free and ran toward her father with her arms wide open.

"Appa!"

Kwon Yul walked out of the gate with a very handsome 17 year-old Manse. Father and son were all smiles as camera flashes went off all around them.

"Chongri-nim! Was having your family there an advantage or a distraction?" asked a reporter.

Seo Hyejoo gave a sideways glance before replying with a gracious smile.

"Of course it's an advantage. With their support, I can do anything."

Kwon Yul smiled when he noticed little Sumi a few yards away.

"There's ajumma!" Manse said as he pointed out Nam Dajeong.

"Yes," Kwon Yul replied as he watched little Sumi run straight into her appa's arms.

Dressed in a stylish tan wool coat, a stubble-faced Kang Inho was all smiles as he picked up Sumi and braved a few kisses.

"Appa, I've been good all week," she told him as he smoothed her hair.

As Dajeong walked up and happily hugged her family, Kwon Yul shifted his gaze to his wife, who was now bowing and shaking hands with reporters.

"I will address more questions at the press conference tomorrow," said Seo chongri-nim as she walked on. Yul and Manse kept up beside her.

"Don't forget to come by tonight," said Yul as he walked by Inho and patted him on the shoulder.

"We'll be there," said Minister Kang.

For a moment, Kwon Yul locked eyes with Nam Dajeong before she smiled and gave him a respectful nod.

"Welcome back, jeon (former) chongri-nim," she said.

"Thank you, Nam Dajeong-ssi," he replied. After a curt nod he left, but Manse stayed behind with the Kang family.

"Have you written any new books lately, ajumma?"

"As a matter of fact, I'm working on book number 19 of the Pastry Frog series. This one will feature a teenage boy who looks just like you," replied Dajeong as she grinned at him. Sometimes she couldn't believe that Manse was so tall, and that Woori and Nara were both university students.

"That's great! Can't wait to read it…"

"Kwon Manse!" his father called back at him.

"Ajumma, ajusshi, I have to go now, but see you tonight at the Official Residence?"

"Of course," said Dajeong.

"Bye!" Manse waved as he ran towards his dad.

After the crowd dissipated a little, Dajeong asked Inho, "don't you have to go with them, Minister Kang?"

Inho shook his head.

"I have the rest of the day off until our private celebration tonight."

"You do?" Dajeong was pleasantly surprised.

"I do. Now, let's go home."

"Hold my hand, appa!" Sumi demanded.

"Of course. Anything for agasshi."

Inho squeezed her hand as he led her and Dajeong out of the airport.

* * *

At home, Dajeong could barely keep the secret she had known about since the beginning of the week, but she knew it would be best to find a good time to tell her husband, rather than right now, even if it was so hard to hold it in as she stood beside the bathroom door watching him comb his hair and groom himself.

"What's on your mind, Dajeong? Why are you staring at me like that, with that silly school girl grin on your face?"

"You look very handsome today, _suhoui cheonsa _(guardian angel)," said Dajeong, calling him by his most favorite out of all her nicknames for him.

He turned to her, grinning from ear to ear.

"Is it because I've been gone for a few days that you're like this?"

She drew close to him.

"Maybe." she said in a coy tone of voice. "I have something to tell you."

He leaned in towards her.

"What is it?" he asked with a gleam in his eye.

"Oh… I don't know that I should tell you right now…"

He grabbed her and she went straight into his arms with her head against his shoulder.

"Tell me, or I won't let you go."

"Guardian Angel!" she protested as she beat her helpless fists against his chest.

"If Dajeong doesn't tell me, I won't be such an angel anymore!" he declared with a devilish look on his face.

The more she struggled, the tighter his grip became. Then, at the opportune moment, he leaned in for the kiss.

"Appa! Omma! What are you doing?" asked Sumi as she appeared behind them.

Startled, Inho let go of Dajeong in an instant.

"Nothing, Sumi. What do you want?" he asked.

But Sumi only stared at him with suspicion.

"Omma, was appa going to…"

"What time is it? Ruri ajumma will be here to babysit you tonight," said Dajeong as she looked at her watch.

"Yay!" said Sumi. "I like ajumma!"

"Ruri?" asked Inho, surprised. "Big star Ruri is coming here to babysit our daughter? How did Dajeong manage that?"

"Ay… You know me. I was talking to her the other day, and she said she wanted to know what it was like to be a mom, so I told her she could babysit for us."

"Can we trust her?" asked Inho doubtfully.

"She's watched her nephews and nieces before, so it should be okay."

"Go get your room ready. You don't want her to see a messy room, do you?" said Dajeong to Sumi.

"It's not dirty, omma, but I'll clean it."

Sumi ran to her room as Inho shook his head and laughed.

"Dajeong-ssi trusts people too much," he said.

"And Minister Kang is often too suspicious of them," she retorted.

"Now what exactly was the secret you wanted to tell me?" he asked, his curiosity now fully aroused.

"Ah, patience is a virtue, so I'll say it after the celebration tonight."

"Nam Dajeong-ssi! Why do you always inflict such torture on me?!"

Dajeong opened her mouth as if to speak, and then she shut it and turned around to leave.

"I have to get dressed now."

"Tell me."

"Later," she said as she walked off.

"Dajeong!" he yelled, desperate.

She sashayed down the hallway and into their bedroom, whistling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Dajeong looked around the prime minister's new official residence, impressed at the structure that was built only five years ago.

"What do you think?" asked Inho as he walked her to the prime minister's study.

"It's totally different, and yet…"

"Somewhat familiar?"

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

Inho grinned big. "Just like old times, right?"

In truth, Dajeong was glad that this was not the same prime minister's residence from 10 years ago, but a new one located in a different city. Too many bittersweet memories of that place had already filled her mind in the past week, after Hyejoo unni invited her and Inho over. Dajeong couldn't help but notice the small wedding portrait of Yul and Hyejoo on the ornate cabinet in the hallway as they walked by.

When they arrived at the study, the prime minister and the former prime minister were waiting for them. Hyejoo arose from the couch at the sight of them. Dajeong tried not to notice an eager Yul eyeing her with a mixture of sentiment and sadness.

"Dajeong-ssi! Minister Kang!" Hyejoo said as she extended her arms. Dajeong bowed and they hugged.

Inho bowed and shook hands with Yul.

"You look much better now than you did when we got off the plane," Yul joked with Inho.

"Thank you, sir. It's wonderful to be noticed."

"Come and sit down!" Hyejoo beckoned.

"Thank you, chongri-nim," said Dajeong as she surveyed the spread on the coffee table. "Congratulations on your appointment."

She and Inho took their places on the couch across from their friends in power.

"It may be a late celebration, since I was already appointed last month, but I really wanted all of us old chums to get together," said Hyejoo.

"We're not all school chums, but we are government alumni chums, right?" offered Dajeong.

"Government alumni chums, eh? As usual, Nam Dajeong-ssi is creative with her words," mused Yul.

Inho beamed at Dajeong, who smiled. He was proud of her accomplishments, no matter how small.

"Oh, are Minister Park and Mrs. Park coming?" asked Inho.

"Minister Park apologizes for being late due to a meeting with his father-in-law about environmental cleanup," said Yul. "He'll be here as soon as he can. Mrs. Park is visiting their son in America."

"Hmmm, _sunbae_ has been making good progress with Chairman Na lately," said Hyejoo.

"That's because he has a secret weapon," said Yul with a sly grin.

"Secret weapon?" asked Hyejoo.

"Also known as Park Myeongsook, the Chairman's only granddaughter. Joonki says she is easily the most skillful politician in his family."

Hyejoo sat back and laughed.

"Jinjiayo (really)?"

"Chongri-nim, I've got an idea for you!" exclaimed Dajeong.

"What?" Yul and Hyejoo answered her at the same time.

"Oh…" Dajeong said as she glanced back and forth between them.

"I'm sorry," said Yul. "You were referring to Seo chongri-nim." Something in Dajeong's voice had reminded him of the way she used to call out to him in such a bright, cheery manner when they had lived at the old official residence.

"Yes, jeon chongri-nim, I'm sorry," Dajeong apologized before turning to Hyejoo. "Seo chongri-nim, why not start a leadership program in our schools to mentor young girls who are interested in becoming future politicians? What do you think?"

Hyejoo could only smile at Dajeong's irrepressible enthusiasm. In ten years the free-spirited young woman she once knew had matured, but she still retained her charm.

"Consider it done, Dajeong-ssi," said Hyejoo. "I'll get to work on it at once."

Dajeong's jaw dropped. "Wow, chongri-nim is quick! I am impressed by your administration already!"

"Good. Now go tell your journalist friends to write about it."

"You bet!"

They all laughed and passed around the appetizers.

* * *

At Chairman Na's headquarters in Seoul, Park Myeongsook ("bright, refined girl"), still wearing her school uniform, marched into her grandfather's office with tears running down her face. Chairman Na was sitting at his desk, reading the news on his tablet with a frown, but when he saw the little girl come in, he instantly brightened.

"Ah, is it my little Myeongsook, come to visit me after school?"

But Myeongsook said nothing and just stood there and sobbed.

"What's wrong, my granddaughter?" he asked, alarmed. "Did somebody bully you?"

After a long moment, she looked up at him with her teary eyes and asked, "Grandpa, is it true that our company pollutes the Geum Chon Man Harbor?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? Did your appa tell you this?"

"My science class saw a film about it today, and we learned all about the pollution that is harming that place. Seonsaeng-nim said that several _hoesa_ (companies) pollute there, and he named Myeongshim as one of them! My classmates know that I am your granddaughter, so they were mocking me!"

Myeongsook started to cry harder as Chairman Na went to her.

"Don't listen to them, my sweet…"

"I told them they were all liars and that my grandpa doesn't kill dolphins and fish in the harbor! But my science teacher said there was evidence from an environmental study!"

Chairman Na got down on one knee and took her gently in his arms.

"There, there. Grandpa's been good to you, hasn't he? How about let's get you some pretty clothes?"

Myeongsook shook herself free from the old man.

"I don't care about new clothes, I have plenty! Just promise me you won't pollute the harbor anymore, grandpa, please? Seonsaeng-nim said we must clean up pollution so kids can grow up healthy. You want what's best for me and the other kids, don't you grandpa?"

She looked at the Chairman with her big, round, tear-filled eyes. The Chairman grimaced. He forced a smile as he hugged Myeongsook.

"Of course grandpa wants what is best for you. Go call your appa to come in."

After a few sobs, Myeongsook walked out of Chairman Na's office and overheard him berating his underlings.

"Useless idiots! Didn't I tell you boys to make sure that place looks clean?"

"We tried to, Chairman, but…"

Myeongsook didn't wait and ran across the reception area to where Joonki stood as he said goodbye to a visiting businessman. He was holding a folder in his hands. She ran up to him just as the visitor left.

"Appa, Grandpa is looking for you," she said as she tugged at his sleeve.

Joonki smiled and patted her head.

"How was your visit with him?"

"I told Grandpa he has to clean up the harbor for me."

"Good girl, now go. The chauffeur is waiting to take you home."

"Aren't you going with me, appa?"

"Not tonight. I have to see the prime minister after I talk with your grandpa. But I'll play chess with you if you're still up."

"Arassuh," she said. "Ahn nyeong hee gyea se yo!"

Joonki watched her with a special pride in his heart as she walked out, then he took a deep breath and went into the Chairman's lair. It hadn't been easy for him to convince his father-in-law to do things differently, but for Myeongsook's future it was worth it.

"Father-in-law, I'm here," he said most politely as he bowed.

The Chairman frowned as he paced back and forth.

"What has Myeongsook been learning at school? What did you tell her?!"

"She's a very bright girl. Some days she comes home and tells me so much about what she learned that I can't even talk or keep up with her."

"Move her out of that school at once! I don't want her listening to their anti-chaebol propaganda!"

"But many top government officials and society elite send their children to that school. If I pull her out now, it will not only damage her status, but it could also hurt our relationships with the other influential parents. Do we really want to do that?"

Joonki eyed the Chairman, who grunted as his eyes bulged. He knew his father-in-law would do anything to protect his hard-fought status in the government and polite society.

"What's your solution for her problem, then?" asked Chairman Na gruffly.

"I'm glad father-in-law asked," said Joonki as he placed his folder on the Chairman's desk. "Before she came to see you, Myeongsook begged me to help her, so I did some research. I think with advanced technology, we can clean up the harbor and still come out ahead."

Chairman Na leafed through the folder.

"Too much of my money, Joonki!"

"Ah, but think of the long-term investment, father-in-law, and the good publicity that the company will receive. Besides, Myeongsook will grow up in a safe, clean environment. If you look at the bottom of the page, I estimated how much additional business we could get if we enhanced our reputation in this way."

"Humph," said the Chairman as he rubbed his knuckles. Joonki grinned. That was a good sign that father-in-law was considering his idea.

"Fine! We'll try this for six months!"

"Six months? That's a very short time to make improvements…"

"Take it before I change my mind!"

Joonki gave the Chairman a deep bow.

"Understood. Thank you, generous father-in-law."

A grinning Joonki came out of Chairman Na's office and closed the door with utmost care.

"Now I can go see the prime minister," he declared with a fist pump.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Back at the C_hongri Gonggwan_, Yul raised his glass for a toast to his wife.

"To our talented, ambitious, and lovely chongri-nim."

Everyone toasted Hyejoo.

"Geonbae!"

As Dajeong sipped her champagne, Hyejoo's watch beeped. She set down her glass and pressed a button on it.

"What was that?" asked Yul.

"Call from the Blue House. I need to take it but it shouldn't be long," she replied. "Minister Kang, will you come with me to the office? This is about renewing our technology trade pact with Catalusia."

"Of course, chongri-nim."

Inho put his glass down on the table and smiled at Dajeong.

"We'll be back soon," he said before he followed Hyejoo out, leaving Yul and Dajeong alone. They both took another sip of their drinks before venturing to speak at the same time.

"How did Kwon…" Dajeong began.

"Would Nam…" said Yul.

They both paused and waited.

"Uh, please go first," said Dajeong.

"What did Nam Dajeong-ssi want to say?" asked Yul.

"I was just wondering… because nobody beside you and the chongri-nim know exactly how you proposed to her," asked Dajeong with an impish grin.

Yul was visibly taken aback by her question.

"That's confidential information for a reason," he said with every bit of seriousness he could muster.

"Oh…" Dajeong wondered if she had stepped on a landmine. Yul carried a lot of them, and she acutely remembered all of the past times when she had triggered one.

Yul tried to laugh.

"Woori… it was his idea."

"Woori?" exclaimed Dajeong. "Woori was your matchmaker?"

"Not exactly… Ms. Nam Da Jeong, would you like a tour of the new Official Residence?" asked Yul, who was eager to change the subject.

"I would love to, chongri-nim," she said softly.

He gave her an awkward smile and quickly got up.

"Follow me."

She nodded and walked out after him from the study.

"How is Woori? I'm sorry that I haven't kept up with you and the kids that much in the past year," said Dajeong as they strolled down the long hallway at the center of the residence.

"He is well. As you know, he got his aerospace engineering degree at MIT, and now he is studying music at the New England Conservatory in Boston."

"He had always wanted to be a pilot and a singer, right? And is Nara doing well at Georgetown University?"

"Yes, she is enjoying their diplomacy program."

"Manse is growing up so fast! Does he still want to be a bread factory owner?"

Yul chuckled. "His latest invention is something called 'cup bread'. He said he was inspired by your cup rice to make something similar with bread. It's been a hit with his high school buddies."

"Oh, Manse," laughed Dajeong. "By the way, where is he? We were supposed to meet tonight."

"A friend invited him to stay the night at the last minute, so he went."

"Aww… I'll see him next time, then."

Yul pointed to the sliding glass doors in front of them.

"Look, there's the courtyard."

The doors opened and Dajeong gasped as she looked out across it.

"Aigoo, it's twice as large as the one at the old residence!" she exclaimed.

"Come out, it's not too cold." Yul motioned to her. As she roamed around the courtyard with him in wonder, he thought back to that night almost two years ago, when Woori had told him to marry again.

* * *

Woori cleared his throat as he walked into his father's study with a cup of tea. Yul was sitting at his desk, staring into space as he tried to make sense of his life. How did he end up letting two women he loved slip away?

Woori bowed and said, "Appa."

That jolted his dad, who looked up at him.

"Woori? You're still up this late at night?"

Woori placed the cup on the desk and laughed a little.

"I'm just like appa. I think a lot at this time of night."

Yul nodded and sighed.

"Then I think you learned a bad habit from me, son. Sit, sit."

Woori sat across from his father and watched him take a sip of tea.

"Has Woori decided on where to pursue a Master's degree?"

"Not yet. But I did make a decision on something else."

Yul's eyes flew open and he cocked his head to one side.

"Decision? What decision?"

"I like Assemblywoman Seo, appa."

"Oh…? What do you mean?" asked Yul as he tried to decipher his son's words.

"She's been helping appa for as long as I can remember... and Nara likes her, too."

"I'm not sure where this is going, but…"

"Manse thinks she's okay, too."

"Manse?" Yul's mind whirled around the implications of the words he had just heard. Surely his son didn't mean…

"I'll never forget that big chicken dinner she made us years ago. I said it tasted salty, but actually it was very good."

"I did consider her for prime minister if I became the president," said Yul with great thoughtfulness.

Woori shook his head while giving him an incredulous smile. How could appa be so dense?

"Appa, I didn't mean prime minister."

"Then what, Woori?"

Woori got up from his seat.

"Appa needs someone beside him to take care of him."

"Eh…" sputtered Yul. The stunned look on his face made Woori grin. "What in the world is Woori talking about?!"

"Think about it, appa. Christmas is coming up, and it might be a good time to ask her."

With that, the young man bowed and left his appa in a bewildered daze.

* * *

Joonki arrived at the prime minister's residence and received the bows of the guards before walking in. But when he got to the study, he saw only the champagne glasses on the table.

"Where is everyone?" he muttered as he went back out and looked up and down the hallway.

In the courtyard, Dajeong waved her hand in front of Yul's face.

"Are you all right, jeon chongri-nim?" she asked.

"Yes?" said Yul as he awoke from his daze. "What was I saying?"

"Nothing. You looked like you were deep in thought."

"I was just wondering how we ever… got here?"

His question made her feel uncomfortable, and she shifted her gaze away from him.

"Does it matter? As long as we are happy in the end…"

When she dared look back at him, she saw the distress in his eyes. Answers. He had always wanted answers, even when he didn't ask for them out loud, and Dajeong knew the central question that now occupied his mind, demanding an answer: "how did Nam Dajeong-ssi become Chief Kang's wife, and not his?"

"You still haven't told me how you proposed to chongri-nim," she teased.

He looked at her as if he had been stuck in another time or dimension and was now slowly coming back to the present reality.

"I will tell you only if you tell me where you went on that world trip you took after your appa's death."

"I never told you?"

Yul shook his head.

"You said it was a sacred memory with just the two of you."

"Aigoo, I had forgotten that," she said with an innocent expression on her face.

"People! For once I see people in this hollow residence!" bellowed a voice behind them.

Yul and Dajeong turned around to see Joonki.

"Where's the chongri?"

"Minister Park," said Inho when he found them gathered there. He bowed and said, "The prime minister would like you and her husband to come into the office. It seems that some complications have arisen in our negotiations with Catalusia, and she could use your insight."

"Of course," said Joonki as he and a reluctant Yul went straight to Hyejoo's office. Inho seemed worried as he looked at Dajeong.

"I am sorry that Dajeong-ssi will be alone, but I will come out and keep you company as soon as I can. Will you be all right?"

Dajeong smiled and nodded.

"Go and help the chongri-nim. I'll be fine."

Inho nodded and left Dajeong by herself out in the courtyard. She sighed and looked up at the stars as she thought of Yul's question.

"You see, prime minister, there was another person with me on that trip."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Besides Appa, there was another person with me on that world trip, but it wasn't in the way you might think or imagine. He was still there, nonetheless, unlike you who left me alone for the entire time._

Dajeong's memory took her back ten years to that afternoon at the Versailles Café, where she had told Chief Kang that she would be leaving.

"When will Dajeong-ssi be back?" he had asked her.

"I'm not too sure. Won't I find out after I get there?" she replied.

She saw the grave concern in his eyes and tried to reassure him that she would be safe.

"Don't worry. I know just about every place we've visited since I was 10 years old. Besides, like I said, I won't be alone."

Inho stared at the table as he wondered how to respond. When he finally looked up at her, Dajeong could not bear to meet his shimmering eyes.

"Would… Dajeong-ssi allow me to… call or write her sometimes?"

"That might be difficult, as I plan to unplug my phone except during emergencies, and I won't know where I will be until the last minute," she said gently.

But she heard the anguish in his voice in response.

"You don't want any contact at all? How about email? Can't I email you?" he cried. "Just once a week… you don't even have to write back, as long as I know that you've read it…"

"Kang gwajang-nim…"

"Please?" he pleaded. He would not let Dajeong leave until he had her full assurance that she would read his email.

"I will write you every Sunday," he promised.

"I'll read it," she promised back.

But the honest truth was that once she had left, Dajeong forgot her pledge to him altogether. It wasn't until two weeks later, when she had gotten lost on Jeju Island and had to use her phone, that she saw his texts that scolded her for not reading his emails. After that she made sure to check every Sunday night for his updates and send back a blank message letting him know that she had received it. She noticed that all of them were sent exactly at 5 o'clock in the evening, as if he couldn't wait to write her and had sent them via delayed delivery.

* * *

_To Dajeong,_

_I hope all is well. Great news! Secretary Seo will soon be Seo uiwon-nim (Assemblywoman Seo), having won the most votes in the Nowon First District. I wish you could see the news about her now. The media calls her the next big rising star in politics. We are all very happy for her well-deserved victory. _

_Kwon chongri-nim has been a guest lecturer at local universities and a political consultant for various community welfare agencies. We paid our respects to your father during Hanshik._

_My hyung is getting a little better each day, and he can say a few words now, even though it still taxes his strength. He seemed very interested when I showed him the chess set you gave me last Christmas._

_May you be protected on your journey to your next destination. _

_Inho_

* * *

_To Dajeong,_

_I hope all is well. Friday was a sad day for the prime minister (who is considering a run for the presidency). He and Park Nayoung are now officially divorced. He hasn't said much, but I am sure things are difficult for him and the children right now. Please say a prayer for them._

_Earlier this week I was sick, but I remembered the jook recipe you gave me and made some, and now I feel much better, thank you._

_The days are getting shorter and the leaves are turning bright red and orange here, but somehow this season just doesn't seem the same without Dajeong's warm smile. _

_Hoping for your safe return._

_Inho_

* * *

Dajeong had left home to get away from all of the tumult in her life during the past six months, but Inho's emails kept her connected and became a source of comfort to her. When she was ready to go home, she didn't feel like she was re-entering an unfamiliar world, because she had at least one friend who had kept her grounded and would welcome her right away.

She came home on a sunny February day, a year after she had left, but she did not tell anyone. Rather, she slipped into Seoul, sight unseen and spent the next month settling into her new apartment and getting her first book published. Now that she was home, Inho's emails amused her, but she wasn't about to tell him to stop yet.

However, at the Versailles Café one day, she couldn't escape Chief Kang's eagle eye when she was sipping her latte and inspecting a copy of her book.

"Nam Dajeong-ssi!" he cried as he ran to her table, wide-eyed. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?!"

She looked up at him and cleared her throat sheepishly.

"Chief Kang… sorry…"

"When Chongri-nim and I got your book, we wondered when you might be returning. You should have told us!"

"I was going to..."

"Where are you staying now?" he asked impatiently as he sat down across from her.

"Not too far from here. I found a reasonable place."

"Good. I'm telling Chongri…"

"Don't!" she interrupted. "I want to surprise him."

"That might be hard, since he travels to different places around town each day."

"Can I interview him for my new book?" Dajeong asked with a big grin.

Inho thought about it and nodded.

"Tomorrow he's meeting with reporters. I'll schedule an appointment for you."

* * *

"Tomorrow came, and I met you and shook your hand, just like I said I would if the fates allowed… but apparently I wasn't specific enough," muttered Dajeong as she came to a halt in her walk around the residence grounds.

She looked up at the night sky and wondered aloud, "Oh Appa, why didn't things turn out the way we had imagined?"

"Aigoo, Dajeong-ee, why are you asking me? Don't you know the answer to your question already?"

Dajeong could hardly believe her eyes. Appa was standing in front of her a short distance away, wearing the same red scarf she had given him for his last Christmas on earth.

"Appa?!"

"Will you stop looking so astonished? What's wrong with Appa visiting his daughter, huh? I used to appear to you a lot more on that trip we took, remember?"

Dajeong laughed a little.

"Yes you did, Appa. Sometimes I swore that you were behind every tree that I saw."

He snorted at her response.

"What am I? A stalker?"

"No," said Dajeong softly as she reached out to touch him. She had missed him so much. But as her hand brushed against his face, he disappeared.

"Just my imaginary appa," she said, as tears filled her eyes.

But he reappeared and said, "Don't cry, my Dajeong-ee. I am still alive in your heart, am I not? Besides, don't worry, my soul is up in heaven."

Dajeong wiped her tears and tried to calm herself.

"Yes, Appa."

"Now, you must tell me what happened after that handshake with Kwon Son-in-law."

"But you're in heaven. Don't you see everything?"

"Aigoo, I've had so much fun that I've hardly noticed what's happened down here on earth! Besides, they have a peculiar thing about time up there. All I have to do is play cards for an hour, and it's like a year has passed down here!"

"They let you play cards up in heaven?"

"Only holy cards, and I play against angels, too, even though to be honest," he confessed as he leaned over and whispered, "I think they let me win most of the time just to be nice."

"Appa, you are too much!" Dajeong laughed out loud. "I would love to see one of your card games against the angels."

"Not yet. You must first find love and live a full life on this earth," said Appa in a stern voice.

"But I did find love, Appa."

"You did? With who?"

"I married Kang Gwajang-nim…"

"The young man who used to eat lunch with me at the hospital?" He took a moment to absorb this news before a big grin appeared on his face. "Then Dajeong-ee made a good choice!"

"You have a granddaughter too. Her name is Sumi."

"Sumi is a good name. But now, no more digressions. Tell me how you ended up with Kang Son-in-law."

"It's a long story..."

"Then tell me the important bits."

"But Appa, some parts of this tale are very sad."

Appa shrugged.

"It can't be helped. But I don't mind as long as the story has a happy ending."

So Dajeong smiled and began her tale.

"Once, there was a young woman who shook hands with a prime minister-nim, thinking that it would make him her husband, just like the princess who kissed the frog… Little did she know about all the sorrow and happiness that awaited them…"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The first month after that handshake was chaotic but rather sweet for Dajeong. Although Yul was very busy preparing for his upcoming presidential campaign, with Inho's help, he always made time for Dajeong and answered questions for her book at his office over lunch or tea.

"What did you want to be when you were a child? Was the law always your passion?" she asked.

Yul chuckled at the question.

"No. I wanted to be a kendo instructor so I could beat up bullies and anyone else who tried to be mean to me."

This surprised Dajeong. "You were bullied as a child?" she asked.

"Only once, but that was enough to convince me to defend myself. What about you, Nam Dajeong-ssi? Were you ever bullied?"

"Plenty of times, but I always fought back, you know. After awhile I was called the queen of fistfights at school."

Yul looked unconvinced.

"That doesn't seem like Nam Dajeong-ssi."

"Don't you remember the way I was when you first met me? That scrappy Scandal News reporter? I was the same way as a child."

"Yes, I remember that Scandal News reporter very well. In fact, she changed my life forever," he replied with a laugh. "But I doubt that she was the queen of fistfights."

"Why? Because I am weak and small?" she asked, indignant at his skepticism.

Suddenly he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to him.

"Aha! I got her!" he shouted.

Dajeong tried to free herself from his steel grip, but he wouldn't let go.

"What…? What are you doing?!"

"Try to free yourself, if you can."

"Ay! All right, I confess, I wasn't a fighter. The boys on the playground liked me and protected me, all right? Now will you let me go?"

Yul grinned and let go a just a slight bit so his hand could slide down hers and he could give her fingers a slight squeeze.

"Nam Dajeong-ssi has a bad habit of lying and exaggerating the facts, doesn't she?"

"Speak for yourself, Mr. Presidential Candidate Kwon," she retorted. "How many lies did you tell as prime minister?"

He clenched his jaw as he let go, then he withdrew his hand from her in retaliation, but she grabbed it right back.

"Hey, who told you to let go?"

"Humph! What, a man can't even scratch an itch for a second?"

"An itch?!"

They continued their repartee until Inho entered the office.

"I'm sorry, sir, but your next appointment has arrived," he declared. Then he gave a stiff bow and went out, anxious to avoid intruding upon the last of their private time.

Dajeong gave Yul's hand a big squeeze.

"Bye, I'll see you again soon," she said with a sweet smile. "Fighting!"

He smiled back as she gathered her purse and notebook.

"Until next time, Nam Dajeong-ssi."

Dajeong went out looking for Inho and saw him walking a few paces away with his back to her.

"Kang Gwajang-nim!" she called out to him.

She noticed that he seemed to quicken his pace, so she ran to catch up with him.

"Kang Gwajang-nim!" she called again as she caught his arm.

"Ah… Dajeong-ssi," he replied softly as he avoided eye contact. The pain of seeing her with Kwon Yul again was getting too heavy for him to bear. He had finally begun to understand why Hyejoo had resigned her post and left Yul.

"Is something wrong, Kang Gwajang-nim?" asked Dajeong, who sensed that her friend was not himself.

"Nothing… I'm just very busy. I have to go now. Have a good day, Dajeong-ssi. Annyeong."

She wondered what troubled him as she watched him walk away… and why her heart suddenly ached.

* * *

Inho had a heavy heart as he went to the hospital to visit his hyung. Nowadays, the only other person he saw there was Nayoung, who was pleasant enough, but he missed the old camaraderie that existed during those few short months when Dajeong-ssi, her _abeoji_ and him laughed and talked over lunch.

He had noticed that lately Nayoung had been looking a bit haggard, and this day was no different. After he entered his hyung's empty room, soon after she wheeled Sooho in, looking rather pale herself.

"Sister-in-law," Inho said as he rose and bowed.

"Inho-ssi," replied Nayoung.

"Hyung, good to see you," said Inho as he took over Sooho's wheelchair. "How are you today?"

Sooho slowly turned to look at him and replied in a hoarse voice.

"Good… sunny… today…"

Nayoung fetched a cup of water for him.

"Here, my love," she said as she brought the cup to his lips. It was during moments like these that she was the happiest.

Sooho took a sip of water and then said, "My… book…"

"Oh, the book! I left it in my car."

"What is he talking about?" asked Inho.

"I got him a picture book about ocean life yesterday, and he really likes it," said Nayoung with the widest smile she could manage. "Wait here and I'll get it."

Inho nodded his thanks, even as he worried about her. In the past year she had totally dedicated herself to helping hyung rehabilitate in every way. Whenever Sooho had seizures, she always kept watch by his bed all night. As Inho helped hyung get back into bed, he wondered if she hadn't worked herself to the point of exhaustion.

He had not told her about the times Yul had asked about her situation, or about the regular pay bonuses that he had received, which he understood was Yul's way of taking care of her and hyung. Neither did he tell her about the hurtful things that her children had said about her when she wasn't around them.

Sooho's room door opened and a familiar voice said, "Kang Gwajang-nim?"

Inho turned around, stunned to see Dajeong. At once he felt both relieved and ecstatic.

"Dajeong-ssi? Is it really you?"

Dajeong was all smiles as she walked in with a bag of good eats.

"I had a feeling that you would be here, so I brought lunch. Now will you smile?"

Inho grinned, even as he tried to keep his composure.

"You remembered…" he said, deeply touched by her generosity.

"Of course I did! Now come and eat!"

Inho glanced at his hyung, but Sooho had fallen asleep already.

"Okay, let's go."

They left hyung's room and went to the dining area, just like the old times.

"Here, this chicken is really good," said Dajeong as she put some on his plate.

"You didn't have to do this, Dajeong-ssi… but I thank you for coming today," said Inho as he beamed at her.

"No, it is I who need to say that to you, Kang Gwajang-nim," said Dajeong a little shyly. "Thank you for supporting me with your emails during my trip."

"Did they… encourage you, I hope?"

Dajeong nodded. "If you hadn't written them, I probably wouldn't be sitting here today."

Inho nearly choked on his food.

"What do you mean? You would have traveled longer?"

"I might have never come back."

"Never come back!" exclaimed Inho. "How could you…?" he stopped himself before he could finish his sentence with "how could you do that to me?"

But Dajeong had already guessed his thoughts anyway, and for some reason it gave her a perverse kind of pleasure.

"Did you… miss me?" she asked.

He struggled with his words before looking her in the eye.

"Very much," he confessed.

Dajeong looked down to hide her smile until she saw the despondent look on his face.

"I suppose… I must get used to missing Dajeong-ssi?"

"What do you mean? Are you going somewhere?"

"I was thinking of going on a trip once hyung is well enough to leave the hospital."

"A trip? Where?"

He took a sharp breath. How could he tell her that he dreaded the day when she would marry Kwon Yul again for real?

"Maybe… I'll study overseas."

Dajeong stopped eating. Something in his voice told her that if he ever left, he would never return.

"As long as you come back," she replied gently.

Inho gulped down his drink as if he were having soju instead of orange juice as Dajeong glanced about the room.

"By the way, is Samonim here today? I brought enough for all of us to have lunch."

"Ah, yes, she was here earlier but she went to her car to get something."

At that moment Dajeong's phone rang and she picked up the call.

"Hello, Editor-nim? What? You are desperate for my services? All right, I'll see you in 15 minutes."

She hung up, all smiles.

"It's my old editor at Scandal News. He's shorthanded today, so he begged me to help him with an assignment. Sorry, but I have to go."

"You still work for Scandal News?" asked Inho incredulously.

"Just freelancing. After all, a girl like me has to eat, doesn't she?" replied Dajeong as she got up.

"Oh… will I see you here again next weekend?"

"Hmmm…" she said with upturned lips. "You just might get your wish."

With that, she rushed off to her job as Inho watched her with a silly grin on his face. It took a few minutes before he realized he hadn't seen Nayoung. He glanced at his watch. More than half an hour had passed.

"That's strange. She should have been back by now."

He dialed her phone, but she did not answer.

"I wonder what is keeping her," he said as he got up.

Inho searched up and down the hospital corridors, but he did not see Nayoung, so he went to the parking structure. He was relieved to spot her white sedan in a corner.

"Park Nayoung-ssi!" he called out as he ran to her car.

He saw that the front passenger side door was halfway open.

"Park Nayoung-ssi?"

Then he saw her, sprawled on the ground, with the book still in her hand, unconscious.

"Sister-in-law!" he cried as he rushed to her aid. He bent down and picked her up, but her limbs were ice cold.

He shook her hard. "Sister-in-law, wake up! Wake up!"

But Nayoung remained unconscious despite his frantic efforts to awaken her.

Thus Inho became the first person to be trapped by the Great Park Blizzard that began the long winter at Kwonnamkang.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_We are heading into melodramatic waters, which makes this chapter a little longer, so buckle your seatbelts. Thanks for reading!_

* * *

At the Official Residence courtyard, Appa scratched his head.

"Great blizzard…?"

_Appa, that's how the events of that year felt like to me… and to Chongri-nim, Kang Gwajang-nim, and everyone else affected by it… a blinding whirlwind of snow,_ thought Dajeong thought as tears welled up in her eyes. Why couldn't she even talk to her own father about this?

"Blizzards don't come here. But where is this unlucky Kwonnam River that gets them?"

_Kwonnam River, ha. _Dajeong dabbed at her eyes and smiled at the old man's play on words.

"Appa, remember that American story about a long winter that we read when I was in fourth grade?"

"Ah, the little house on the prairie. Aigoo, it seems just like yesterday," he chuckled.

"It's one of my favorite memories – the two of us huddled near the heater, with you reading about how that little girl and her family survived those storms... I always loved it when Appa read to me."

"Wait a minute… Kwonnamkang... aha! The Kang is for… Kang son-in-law?"

"Appa has always been smart," Dajeong replied, laughing.

"Your dad is no dummy!" said Appa with a big grin, the way he used to before he got sick.

Dajeong wished she could stop it right there and skip to the happier parts of the story.

"Kwonnamkang…" he muttered. "But go on. Your hyung-nim, what happened to her?"

Dajeong face became somber again as she spoke.

"Forgive me, Appa, if I don't give too many details… You see, Samonim had suffered for 7 long years in hiding because she ran away with Ajubeonim. When we found her to be alive, she was so happy we allowed her to come back and see her children, and Chongri-nim and her divorced, so she stayed with Ajubeonim and cared for him. But…"

"I think the years of hardship and her shock at being discovered all took their toll on her, so that when she was finally happy, her body broke down and she… collapsed."

* * *

At her cozy apartment, Dajeong was putting the finishing touches on her Scandal News article.

"There," she said with a toothy grin as she hit the "Send" button. "I'm all done!"

As she got up from her chair and stretched, she thought about her friend.

"Poor Kang Gwajang-nim. He looked so… melancholy."

Her phone rang, and she smiled when she saw the name "Blue Kwon" on the touchscreen. She had given Yul that nickname because he was going to run for president.

"Are you there yet?" she teased.

Sitting in the back seat of his car, Yul replied to her with almost a schoolboy's giddiness.

"Not yet, but I will arrive."

"If I don't distract you too much."

"But Nam Dajeong-ssi is a welcome distraction," said Yul. "She makes me temporarily forget all my burdens and troubles."

"Aigoo, you give me too much credit. But tell me, why you are calling?"

"Would Ms. Nam Dajeong be able to go to dinner with me tomorrow night?"

"Oh? What kind of dinner is this?" asked an excited Dajeong.

"One where you must dress well."

"Hmmm… Is this a date, Candidate-nim?"

Yul grinned and said nothing.

"Hello? Are you still there?" asked Dajeong curiously. "Hello? Hello?"

"Yes, Nam Dajeong-ssi. See you at seven."

Dajeong heard the beep that ended the call.

"Yah! I didn't even say yes… aish, he drives me crazy sometimes!" she sighed as she shook her head.

* * *

At City Hospital, a shocked Joonki stared at Nayoung's doctor in disbelief.

"What are you saying? She's still a young woman! How can this be!"

Dr. Sun grimaced as he re-read Nayoung's test results on the report in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Minister Park. We will continue to do more tests, of course, but we are almost certain that she has late stage pancreatic cancer."

"What can be done? Surely you must have something you can do for her!" cried Joonki as the angry tears in his eyes threatened to spill out.

"We'll do the very best we can, Minister Park. However, right now we cannot guarantee anything. I am sorry."

Dr. Sun bowed and led Joonki out of his office. Dazed, Joonki stumbled his way to the MRI lab, where Nayoung was waiting. She smiled at him in the same way that she always had from childhood.

"I'm going to get a lot better, aren't I, Oppa?"

It was all Joonki could do to put on his best politician's face.

"Yes, Nayoung-ee. You will be better."

Joonki squeezed her hand before she went into the lab, and then he dashed out to an empty hallway where he wept.

* * *

During an unusually quiet afternoon, Yul sat in his office drinking tea with his lips upturned. Any minute now, and Nam Dajeong-ssi would appear at his door for an interview, and then they would go out to dinner.

He always knew it was Dajeong by her light and airy steps, and this time was no different. As he heard the door open, without looking he said, "Come in, Dajeong-ssi."

Dajeong waltzed in, wearing a form-fitting, knee-length royal blue dinner dress.

"I'm here! What do you think?" she said with a megawatt smile and outstretched arms, pen and notebook in hand.

Yul pretended to study her, unsmiling.

"It's… acceptable, I guess."

Her smile vanished and she became indignant.

"Acceptable! I spent a lot of time dressing up like this, and you don't even appreciate it?"

Yul's face changed in an instant.

"Thank you, Ms. Nam Dajeong," he said with a big grin.

She sat on the couch with her arms crossed.

"Humph! Some presidential candidate you are."

"Yes, and I am now ready to answer your questions, Nam Gija."

Dajeong kept trying to frown, but she just couldn't hold a grudge that long after seeing the devilish expression on his face.

"Aish! I am never going to be able to write an objective article about Candidate-nim again."

"That is why I do allow you to interview me. Shall we begin?"

Dajeong sighed and shook her head as she opened her notebook.

"Our dinner had better be expensive and delicious," she said in an accusing tone, as if he were a cheapskate.

"Delicious? Yes. Expensive? Well, we have to set a good example for the citizens, don't we?"

She slapped him on the shoulder.

"You're such a bad liar. I can't believe anything you say!"

Yul tried to make sense of that.

"I'm a politician. I thought it was supposed to be the other way around?"

The way he said that reminded her of their repartees at the Official Residence, and the children.

"How are the kids? With all of their activities and trips, I feel like I've haven't seen much of them at all, and when I do, they seem… distant."

"Give them time," said Yul sagely.

"Are they getting along with their mother?

"That… It has not been the smoothest reunion."

Dajeong became sad as she thought of what the children must be going through.

"I hope that in time they will accept her back… and me, too…"

"They will," Yul reassured her. "Shall we begin?"

"Now I need to go use the makeup room first. I'll be right back," she said as she picked up her notebook.

"Are you taking your notebook with you into the bathroom?" he asked curiously.

"Of course! That way if any ideas come to mind, I can write them down!" she said as she darted out of his office.

Yul shook his head. _Ah, Nam Dajeong-ssi, what do I do with you?_

As he waited, he thought of all the charming things he could say to her over dinner, and how she might react to them. Would she be pleased or would she laugh at him, he wondered, as he heard footsteps approaching the door.

But those slow, heavy footsteps outside did not sound like Dajeong at all. When Yul looked up, he saw Inho entering the room with a strange look on his face that Yul had not seen before. The younger man quietly closed the door and locked it, and then he took a deep breath and stared his boss.

"Kang Gwajang-nim?" asked Yul as he saw the harrowing look in his chief of staff's eyes. He wondered if something had gone wrong?

Inho took another breath before speaking.

"Sir, I have some… news to report."

"Tell me quickly, for that look on your face can't be good."

"Park Nayoung-ssi…" Inho began before he stared at the floor. "…has terminal cancer and is not expected to live past this summer."

The shock on Yul's face was immediate.

"What… did you say?"

"I found her the other day after she had collapsed in the hospital parking lot…"

Inho could not finish his sentence as he looked up at Yul. The presidential candidate's thoughts were now in chaos.

"She… she can recover, right?" he asked, hoping.

"I've only told you what I know. Minister Park has more details. I'm very sorry, Candidate-nim… I need to hurry back to my hyung."

"Go and take care of him."

Inho bowed and took his leave as Yul tried to make sense of what he had just heard. He did not notice Dajeong when she came back in moments later.

"I'm here!" she announced as she came to him.

The expression on her face instantly changed as she approached the shell-shocked man.

"Candidate-nim?"

Slowly, he reached out and grabbed her arm as if holding on to it for dear life. As he drew her in tight, her notebook slipped out of her hand and fell to the floor with a clatter.

* * *

"Aigoo, Dajeong-ee," said Appa. " This sounds like a long and sad story, indeed. Weren't you going to write a book about this so I could read it?"

Dajeong gave him a sheepish look.

"Appa, I never finished that book."

"Why did you not finish? Aigoo, typical writer, always procrastinating."

_It was too painful for me, Appa_, she thought.

Appa said nothing as he gave her a long, gentle stare.

"Dajeong-ee, you don't have to tell me, but I think it would do you good."

She laughed.

"Then, how about I give Appa the very short version? Like a traffic report?"

"Very well, but someday when you are ready, you need to finish your book, understand?"

Dajeong took a deep breath, because she didn't want to make another promise to Appa that she couldn't keep.

"Arrassuh."

"Good, now what happened next?"

"Candidate-nim visited Park Nayoung-ssi, and he was shocked to see how thin she had become. Even though he was distressed, for her sake he tried to hold in his emotions and act pleasant. But this decision backfired because it only caused Samonim more anxiety. When she asked him to say something to her, he couldn't, so she yelled at him for the first time in a very long time… "

"He asked her not to get angry, but she said that he was a politician who had broken all of the promises he had made to her and to the children while they were married. She was probably half out of her mind when she said those things, so he wasn't going to argue, even if it hurt him so badly to be reminded of his failures. Later, I had tried to comfort him, but he just couldn't seem to forgive himself…"

"At home the children waited, wondering why it took Appa so long to come. When he finally got home, Woori asked what was wrong, and he told them about their omma. Despite his reassurances that she would be fine, they were all shocked, poor children… The older ones tried to act stoic, just like their father. Woori was the hardest hit, of course. Nara asked when they could visit her. Manse… Manse accused his father of lying and ran off crying."

Dajeong's appa shook his head and sighed.

"Aigoo, poor children…"

Dajeong tried to keep her eyes dry.

"When they did visit their omma, they all tried desperately to reconcile with her. Woori begged her to get better, because she needed to play the piano for his solos again. She had played for him once at church, when the pianist was sick and Woori was going to sing a cappella. Samonim played for him, but he didn't realize it was her until the end of his song."

"Nara asked her to stay, of course, because who else would braid her hair? So Samonim did this for Nara from her bed while she still had the strength. Manse also demanded that she read him a story every time he was there. She was so happy to do that."

"One day, when I went with Kang Gwajang-nim to the hospital, we met the children in the flower shop there. Manse was still happy to see me, but Woori was wary and asked why I had left them and Appa and never wrote or called for a year? I couldn't… give him a good answer. All I could say was sorry, but that I still cared about him."

Dajeong shook her head.

"I don't think Woori is ever going to forgive me."

"Aigoo, don't blame yourself, Dajeong-ee," said Appa. "I know you cared about those kids, even if you couldn't be there for them in person."

"I blame myself for a lot of things, Appa," said Dajeong. "But still, I'm glad things turned out the way they did for all of us."

"Candidate-nim and Samonim… they reconciled before she died."

Her mind whirled back to that hot June day when she went to see Nayoung by herself.

* * *

Dajeong thought she had picked a good time to visit Samonim in the morning, but she was mistaken when she saw Yul by Nayoung's bedside, holding her hand tenderly. Dajeong quickly ducked out of sight.

"Don't you dare leave. Last time I thought you were dead, I couldn't forgive you. If you leave me again this time…" Yul said as his chest heaved.

"Will you… pretend you still care for me for the next days? That is all I ask," Nayoung cried.

"I don't need to pretend."

Gently he caressed her cheek and smiled at her.

"Because, don't you know that 25-year-old Kwon Yul will always love his bride, Park Nayoung-ssi?"

He gave her a delicate embrace as she sobbed.

"And 22-year-old Nayoung will always love oppa, too. "

Dajeong tried to breathe as she leaned against the wall for support, then she stumbled out of the hospital as quickly as she could.

* * *

"Aigoo, Kwon Yul is a man of heart," said Appa.

"Yes, he is, and I tried to support him during that terrible time, when he had to watch Samonim's life slowly fade away like a flower. But I couldn't do much. No one could take away that empty look in his eyes…"

"So I tried to help Kang Gwajang-nim, who didn't know how to tell his hyung the bad news. Slowly, Ajubeonim's condition had improved and he was able to move his head a lot more. But he wondered where Samonim was and asked us about her on a daily basis. 'Nayoung… Nayoung… where…?' he asked over and over…"

"We were afraid that if we told him the truth, it would shock him and make his condition worse, so we were very careful about our words. But he seemed to know that something was wrong, anyway. Poor Kang Gwajang-nim, he was so tormented that he nearly collapsed from the strain of that ordeal."

"Aigoo, Dajeong-ee kept him sane, didn't she?" said Appa with a wry smile.

But she continued her story like a woman passing by a car wreck, who couldn't bear to look at the bloody, mangled mess in front of her face.

"As you can imagine, Minister Park and his family were also suffering, as Samonim was his only sibling. But he did promise his sister to never blame Candidate-nim or take revenge on him for her death. Samonim also asked Minister Park to look after Ajubeonim, which is how I became better acquainted with the Park family."

"I wasn't sure if Samonim wanted to see me, and I was surprised but glad one day when Seo Uiwon-nim invited me to go to the hospital to visit Samonim with her together. The doctors had told Samonim that she only had a week or two to live, so she wanted to finish up all of her affairs."

Dajeong couldn't hold back her tears.

"Samonim looked so pale… she was a ghost of her former self…"

* * *

"Thank you for coming," Nayoung said in a raspy voice as she tried to lift her head off her pillow.

"Don't move, Nayoung unni," cried Hyejoo as she helped Nayoung settle back down. Dajeong helped Hyejoo tuck in Nayoung's bed sheets.

"The reason why I called you both here… is to thank you."

Dajeong and Hyejoo looked at each other.

"Samonim, you don't need to thank us," Dajeong replied.

"Yes, I do," said Nayoung. "Thank you, Dajeong-ssi, for taking care of Kwon Yul and my children when he was the prime minister."

Dajeong nodded.

"Thank you, Samonim, for allowing me to do so."

"Whatever happens, I am sure that you will find much love and happiness in the future, because you have a kind heart."

"Get well, Samonim."

Nayoung smiled.

"I will get well, just in a different way."

Slowly, she turned to Hyejoo and said, "Hyejoo-ah, take care of Oppa."

Hyejoo took Nayoung's hands in her own and nodded with tears in her eyes.

"Of course I will."

"I regret… that I was not much help to him back then, because I didn't know politics. But you, I am so proud of you…"

"Nayoung unni…"

Dajeong wished she could give the other two women a big hug. But she could only do it in spirit.

"Dajeong-ssi," Nayoung called out to her.

"Yes, Samonim?"

"Come back tomorrow with Inho-ssi if you can, please?"

She nodded.

"I will," she said.

The next day, Inho and Dajeong visited Nayoung, who was happy to see them, even though to Dajeong she seemed worse for the wear.

"I'm sorry I am not able to take care of your hyung, Inho-ssi."

Inho sat down beside her.

"Just focus on getting well, Hyungsu-nim."

Nayoung managed to give him a warm smile.

"Thank you for finding me that day."

"I'm glad I found you in time," he said as he tried not to think of her collapsing in the parking lot.

"Yes, I'm glad you did too, so that I was able to see my family… and everyone again… and have a short time of happiness with them."

His eyes widened as he suddenly understood.

"I… I am sorry, sister-in-law. Perhaps if I hadn't insisted on finding you and revealing your true identity… you might still be healthy and… live a long life…"

He bowed his head in anguish as she reached out her trembling hand to comfort him.

"No. You didn't do anything wrong. Do not blame yourself. As I told you before, I am grateful for all you have done for me and my family."

She held his arm until he composed himself and raised his head again, thankful.

Nayoung glanced at Dajeong next.

"Dajeong-ssi, can I have a few words with you in private?"

Uncertain, Dajeong turned to Inho, who immediately got up from his chair.

"Of course, I will wait outside, Dajeong-ssi."

When he bowed and left, Dajeong sat beside Nayoung, who studied her for awhile.

"Samonim, what did you want to say to me?"

"Dajeong-ssi, I hesitate to say this, since I am very thankful that you took care of Candidate-nim, but…"

Dajeong tried to make her feel at ease.

"It's all right, Samonim. Whatever it is you are about to say, I can handle it."

Nayoung nodded shyly before asking, "Do you… love Inho-ssi?

Dajeong's jaw dropped.

"Ah, we're… very good friends," she stammered.

"He's a very good man, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is."

"Just like his hyung, but better because of you, Dajeong-ssi."

Nayoung detected that this unexpected turn of the conversation made Dajeong uncomfortable.

"Dajeong-ssi, now that I am leaving this earth, I can tell you one thing."

Dajeong held her breath for Nayoung's next words.

"Don't wait too long for love."

* * *

Appa nodded in agreement.

"Those were some wise words. Did you heed them?"

"Not at first, Appa, because I thought it was impossible that I could be in love with Kang Gwajang-nim."

"So when did you find out?"

"Appa! You're so nosy!" she cried as she pulled away from him.

"Come on, humor your appa a little."

Dajeong gave a nervous laugh.

"Well… I think it happened when I first saw him with Green Girl…"

"Who is Green girl?'

"The girl who wore green all the time! She was always way too friendly with him!"

"You sound jealous of her even now," teased Appa.

"Of course I am, even if I have no reason to! I first saw her outside his apartment building one Saturday morning when he had asked me to go to the hospital with him. She was chatting with him in Korean and another language that I later recognized as Spanish."

"Was she pretty?"

"Why does it matter? Yes, she was pretty, but that's not what made me jealous."

"Oh? Then what was it?"

"She had this way of making him laugh like a child again… a full, hearty, belly laugh, as if nothing ever troubled or hurt him," said Dajeong wistfully as the image of him being playful with Green Girl filled her mind.

"That sounds like a good personality."

"Anyway," said Dajeong, who was eager to change the subject, "that summer, Samonim passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family."

"Aigoo, that must have been hard for your ajubeonim." asked Appa. "Did he attend the funeral?"

Dajeong shifted her feet uncomfortably.

"Yes, he did."

"How did he take it?"

Dajeong remembered that day, when Inho pushed Sooho's wheelchair into the columbaria that held Nayoung's ashes.

"I wiped away his tears."

* * *

After Nayoung's funeral, Dajeong had approached Yul to try to comfort him, but he only nodded when she gave him her condolences, and seemed lost in his own thoughts. He treated Dajeong no differently from the distant way he had done during the weeks before. Distressed by his avoidance of her, Dajeong went to the children next.

"Woori, Nara, Manse… have you been eating well?" she asked.

Nara and Manse said nothing and just stared while Woori glared at her.

"Who are you to care? You left us! Remember?" he yelled before he stormed off. Nara and Manse said nothing before running after their older brother.

Stunned, Dajeong sobbed as she watched them leave. Inho came and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Give them some time," he said softly.

Dajeong wasn't so sure, but at that moment Inho's arms seemed like a safe place, so she rested on him for awhile. And Inho gave thanks for that small, sweet moment in the midst of the storm.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_A big thank you to those of you who followed or favorited this story! My imagination has been really going, but I can't fit it all into this one chapter, so there will definitely be more to this saga._

* * *

After Nayoung's death, everything at the Kwon residence seemed to be frozen in slow motion. As Hyejoo walked into the quiet, still house, the atmosphere in there seemed more like that of a tomb than a home.

"I can't be certain where he might be," said Na Ajumma as she led Hyejoo through the house. "These days, when he is at home, he might be in the yard one moment, and then in his library the next. He doesn't sleep well, either. I've heard him walking around the house as late as four in the morning.

Hyejoo nodded with understanding.

"Don't worry, Ajumma. I'll find him."

She wandered through unfamiliar hallways until she found him sitting in front of the baby grand in the _piano bang_, looking unkempt and disheveled in his robe.

"Candidate-nim?" she examined him as she entered the room.

Slowly, he looked up at her with his weary eyes.

"You're here?

"I came to check on you and the children. Are you… all right?"

He replied at half the speed that she was used hearing in his sonorous voice.

"What… can I say… when I've had my world turned upside down again?"

"You must have some breakfast," she entreated him. "Please get dressed."

But he continued to sit there, looking dispirited. Hyejoo gave a soft sigh before venturing with a suggestion.

"Maybe… you should withdraw from the presidential race at this time, and spend it with your family?"

At once his head shot up and he stared at her in such a way that he almost seemed frightened.

"How could I do that, when I have people counting on me?"

"Then you should have breakfast with me, Sunbae. Please get up?"

She waited for him to move, but he remained glued to the piano bench.

"You must get up now, Candidate-nim."

He stood up, but then tottered as if he were about to fall. Hyejoo ran to steady him.

"Candidate-nim! Are you all right?"

He stared at her with wide, vacuous eyes, and said, "I'll consider withdrawing."

Her jaw dropped. Never, in a million years, did she expect to hear him even consider giving up.

"Sunbae…"

"On the other hand, I should continue, because work will take my mind off Nayoung… right?

Ajumma poked her head into the room.

"Shiksa, everyone!"

Hyejoo nodded at the old woman.

"We'll be right there, I promise."

But Ajumma didn't seem very convinced as she left.

Hyejoo did her best to help Yul to the door. Once they reached the threshold, he held up his hand to stop her. Slowly, she let go.

"That will be enough, Hyejoo. I can walk the rest of the way myself."

"I'll go get the children up," she said quietly.

He nodded, and then he walked to his room like a zombie. She said a prayer for him.

"God, let him get through this, please, God!" she cried softly as she went to Woori's room.

"Woori!" she called out as she knocked on his door.

The door opened and there stood Woori, looking every bit as unkempt as his dad. Hyejoo was speechless for a moment.

"Breakfast…"

The other two doors down the hallway opened and out stepped Nara and Manse, who matched Woori in their rumpledness.

Hyejoo's jaw dropped as she stared at all three of them.

"Do any of you… need help getting dressed?

"Can you help me pick out some clothes?" asked Nara.

Hyejoo nodded and followed Nara into her bedroom.

"Me too, Ajumma!" cried Manse.

"All right, I'll be with you in a minute."

She glanced at Woori, who looked down at the floor.

"Ajumma, I can dress myself."

"Okay. Plaid looks… good on you."

Without a word, he went back into his bedroom and shut the door on her.

* * *

Dajeong trudged into the Scandal News office to say hello to the gang, but her smile was more one of politeness than anything, and Dalpyo and Heechul could sense it.

"Noona! How is Candidate Kwon nowadays?" asked Heechul.

Chief Editor Dalpyo took one look at Dajeong's face and slapped his employee on the shoulder.

"Aigoo, why do you ask something like that when you know it brings pain?"

"I was just asking if he was well, that's all!" protested Heechul.

"He's all right," said Dajeong quietly, even if that was more of an assumption on her part rather than the truth.

"And what about Kang Gwajang-nim? Is he okay, too?"

Dajeong sighed. "We've all had a difficult time these past few months. I hope you can understand that."

"Of course!" exclaimed Dalpyo as if he were insulted. "We'll give all of you adequate time to recover, although it's so unfortunate that this happened during Candidate Kwon's run for president."

He sighed. "It might affect his chances of getting elected."

"Oh no, what if his poll numbers go down?" asked Heechul.

"Pray and hope for the best," said Dajeong. "Any assignments for me today?"

Dalpyo and Heechul looked at each other.

"Today is kinda slow…" began Heechul.

"Yeah, it almost makes me wish for those days when you were making the news, Dajeong-ssi," said Dalpyo with a chuckle.

Dajeong smirked a little and shook her head.

"You'll never see me in the news again, Editor-nim."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Dajeong-ssi. After years in this business, the old becomes new, and buried things are exposed to the sun yet again."

"Be careful, Noona," Heechul chided her.

Dajeong smiled and bowed.

"I thank both of you for caring about me so much," she replied.

"Pssht! Who cares about you that much," declared Dalpyo almost too emphatically. "Don't think I'll come rescuing you if you get in trouble with the media, young lady!"

"Yes, Editor-nim!" said a grinning Dajeong who bowed yet again.

* * *

Inho and Yul finished their meeting regarding Yul's campaign travel schedule as they sat in his office. Inho went over the notes on his legal pad.

"You will be traveling to the Daegu area next week to campaign, but it's only two to three hours away, so you can return home every night if you prefer," said Inho as Yul took a sip of his coffee.

Yul nodded his approval.

"I would rather return home every night, even if the commute is longer."

Inho got up and closed his leather portfolio.

"Very well, sir. Is there anything else I can assist with right now?"

"If only you could help me buy a new dress for Nara," Yul laughed ruefully.

Inho hesitated as he thought of Dajeong.

"Candidate-nim?"

"Emm?"

"Are you and Nam Dajeong-ssi… going to resume your relationship?"

Yul gave Inho a pained look and sighed.

"How is Nam Dajeong-ssi these days? Kang Gwajang still sees her, do you not?"

"She's been… surviving, as we all have."

Yul stared into space as his heart sank.

"Dajeong-ssi could help you with that dress for Nara…" continued Inho.

"Kang Gwajang, I hope you understand why I cannot… be the same way with her right now. I am mourning the death of my wife yet again… and the children are mourning the loss of their mother…"

Inho looked down and tried to blink away the tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I brought this trouble upon you, sir. I have made things difficult for both you and Dajeong-ssi. It was my fault…"

Yul shook his head and put his hand on Inho's shoulder.

"This was not Kang Gwajang's fault."

"But I was the foolish one who wanted revenge!" cried Inho, who now felt comfortable enough with confessing his faults to Yul. "Forgive me, Candidate-nim. I didn't know…"

Yul let out his breath with a half-smile as the young man bowed his head in distress.

"You who worked so hard to set me up with Nam Dajeong-ssi , just so my nomination for prime minister could be confirmed… I know it must have pained you to see us happy together… What were you going to do to me, anyway?"

Inho looked up at Yul with his bloodshot eyes.

"I was going to… expose you as the lying murderer that I thought you were… but then Dajeong… I couldn't do it for a long time because of her, and because… you never lived up to my expectations…"

Yul grinned at Inho.

"Thank you. I am so glad to hear that you believed in me. I hope we can continue our relationship, not just in this way, but that I could be your… hyung."

Inho's face brightened with gratitude.

"I would be honored, Candidate-nim."

Yul extended his hand to Inho.

"Well then, Inho-ssi. Let us forget the misgivings of the past, shall we?"

Inho shook Yul's hand and held it as he gave a curt bow.

"Thank you, Hyung-nim."

"Come to dinner with me. We should drink to this."

Inho nodded, pleased at the invitation. At last he was starting to feel relieved.

"As for Nam Dajeong-ssi… Don't worry, I will talk to her."

"Will she have to wait a long time to be with you?" asked Inho, who was worried again.

"I would not advise that she wait for me. She is now probably 30 years old, and she might want a family soon, don't you think?"

"But…"

This time Yul would not let Inho protest.

"I will not object, if Nam Dajeong-ssi ends up loving another. In fact," he declared as he eyed Inho carefully. "If he is a good man, I will give him my blessing."

"But what about you? Do you really have no feelings for her now?"

Yul took in a deep breath before he spoke.

"I will always be grateful for what we had. It was an odd relationship that started out with much animosity, but she soon became like a dear friend…"

"More than a friend!"

"In the meantime, Inho-ssi, please take care of her?"

"I will look out for her, I promise."

"If by chance I end up breaking her heart again… do forgive me. That's all I'll say for now."

* * *

After his genial dinner with Yul, Inho brooded about how to take care of Dajeong. He sat on his couch for a long time, wondering how to warn her that Yul wasn't ready for another relationship.

He jumped when he heard his doorbell ring. His watch said it was ten o'clock.

"Who is at the door at this hour?"

When he heard the bell chime again, he went to his front door and cautiously opened it. Dajeong was standing there with a plastic bag full of takeout.

"Kang Gwajang-nim!" she said excitedly. " I went out to eat kamjatang with my Scandal News friends, and I thought you might like some, too," she said as she handed him the food.

Inho hesitated before he slowly took the package from her.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

He felt none of the camaraderie that he usually had with her. Instead, in its place was a gnawing ache that would not leave him. He thought of what Yul had said earlier that morning. "If he is a good man, I will give him my blessing."

Inho knew for sure that he loved Dajeong-ssi, but how he could pursue a relationship now, after all she had just been through with Kwon Yul?

"Are you okay?" Dajeong asked quizzically.

"Yes, I'm… just busy with a personal matter," he said as his mind scrambled for an answer.

"Oh…" she replied, looking disappointed. "Then I won't bother you…"

Inho's phone rang.

"Wait a minute," he told her as he answered the call.

"Yeoboseyo."

Inho's eyes widened in horror as his jaw dropped.

"What did you just say?!"

Dajeong stared at him anxiously as she waited.

"I'll be right there!"

Inho hung up, trembling and unable to utter a word.

"Is it bad news? What happened?" she asked, concerned.

Dajeong had to shake him to get him to answer.

"Hyung… he's in trouble… I have to go to him right now."

"I'll go with you," Dajeong said without hesitation. She had to steady him as he nearly lost his balance.

"Stay calm, Kang Gwajang-nim."

But her exhortation came too late, as a tear fell off his eyelash.

* * *

At the hospital, Kang Sooho lay unconscious as medical personnel tried to revive him. Outside the operating room, an anxious Inho sat and waited with Dajeong at his side.

"I should have never assumed that he was all right. Hyung, how could you do this!" he cried as he got up and paced the hallway.

"Kang Gwajang-nim, it's not your fault."

"How did he even get a hold of those pills?"

The emergency room doors opened and a doctor appeared.

Inho rushed to him and asked, "How is he, doctor?"

"We were able to wash the pills out of his stomach, thankfully. He needs to rest, and then he should be all right."

"Can I see him?"

"When we take him to his room, you may," said the doctor.

"Do you know how this happened?"

"It seems that your hyung had been depressed for awhile. I was told by his nursing home physician that earlier this week, a nurse overheard him saying, 'burden to younger brother.'"

"Thank you, doctor."

The doctor nodded and left to attend to another patient.

"Oh, Hyung. How could you think that way?" Inho lamented.

* * *

Despite Sooho's unconscious state, Inho could not help but yell at his hyung as he watched him sleep.

"How could you… Do you think that things would be better for me if you left this earth!" he shouted through angry tears, but Sooho did not awaken.

Inho rushed to his hyung's side and took Sooho's limp hand. He couldn't stop rubbing it to warm it up.

"You are my only direct family left! Do you want to leave me an orphan?! Speak to me, hyung!"

Dajeong came in with flowers and food. It pained her to see Inho so hurt.

"Let him rest, then you two can talk later," she urged Inho. "Come and eat."

But Inho was in no mood for food.

"Go home, Dajeong-ssi. I'll be here until he wakes up."

"But I could…"

"Go!" he yelled at her for the first time in a long time, if ever.

Surprised and hurt, she put everything down gently and went to the door, giving him a long glance. As she went out, she saw Joonki coming to visit.

"I came when I heard," he said most earnestly.

Dajeong glanced back at Inho, knowing that he could think of no one else.

"I'm not sure that he'll talk to you…"

"It's all right. I won't be long, anyway. I have an international call at five a.m. that I need to take at the office," he said politely.

She gave a quick bow and left with a heavy heart.

"How is he?" asked Joonki as he came in.

Inho whirled around in defensive mode.

"Why are you here?" he asked, shaking.

"The nursing home called me," Joonki replied in his usual deep and calm voice.

Inho's eyes narrowed.

"Why would they call you?"

"Because I am a designated contact person for Sooho-ssi. Nayoung… she wanted it this way."

_That explains the extra care and attention Hyung has received in the past few months_, thought Inho. But all he could say was, "I see. Thank you for coming."

"I do try to visit from time to time. But usually I come on Sundays, when you are not here. Is Sooho-ssi all right?"

"Depressed… but at least he's alive."

Inho couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of fate.

"I remember the first time when I saw you pushing his wheelchair… I was horrified… and now look at us."

Joonki nodded.

"Sorry… I shouldn't have gone there and taken him."

"We were both fools…"

"Yes, we were," said Joonki as he offered Inho his hand. "But no longer. Will you accept my apology?"

Inho looked at Joonki's hand, and then slowly, he grasped it firmly.

"Please accept mine as well."

Joonki smiled with pleasure as he thought of possibilities for both of them to work together.

"Now we can put the past behind us, and hopefully work together towards a better future."

"Candidate-nim will certainly need your help."

"Believe me, I am already working behind the scenes on his behalf."

Inho was going to say more, but at that moment Sooho's eyes opened and stared straight at him.

"Can you see us, Hyung? Are you awake?"

But Sooho stared at them, confused, and didn't say a word.

"Please, Hyung! It's your brother Inho! Let me know that you understand!"

Sooho closed his eyes again, which caused tears of anguish to roll down Inho's cheeks. Joonki put his hand on Inho's shoulder.

* * *

"Aigoo!" cried Dajeong's appa. "Did your ajubeonim get better? Poor Kang son-in-law! Why did he push you away like that?!"

"Don't worry, Appa. Ajubeonim did start to get better, and Kang Gwajang-nim did eventually apologize.

"Eventually? He should have apologized right away!" fumed Appa.

"Anyway, Appa, after weeks of silence from Candidate-nim, I finally got a text message from him asking me to dinner… I thought it was strange, so I called up my guardian angel to ask him about it."

* * *

"I'm coming right over," said Inho when he heard the news. When he got to her front door, he knew he wanted to apologize first.

"Sorry I yelled at you the other day.'

"I understand. It's fine."

"But it's not fine! I shouldn't have… Dajeong-ssi, will you forgive me?"

He asked in such a sincere way that she couldn't resist.

"Of course I do. We're friends, aren't we? But you could have just stayed on the phone."

"I thought it would be better for me to be here," he said as he followed her inside. "I checked his schedule, and it didn't show a dinner tonight…"

"Oh? Doesn't he usually put everything on his schedule?"

"He's been a little erratic lately… ever since…"

As he stared sadly at her, she understood.

"Is your hyung doing better?"

"He is slowly improving, thanks. I've asked for a counselor to help him."

"That's good… but why does Kang Gwajang-nim look so worried right now?" she asked as she noticed that unmistakable frown.

"I just have a feeling, that's all. Be careful, Dajeong-ssi," he said. "Do you know which restaurant you're going to?"

"He said The Perch."

"Ah, The Perch…" said Inho as his mind went over everything he knew about that place.

"Is is a good place?"

"Yes, it's a good place," he replied. "Candidate-nim does a lot of his business meetings there."

Dajeong's face fell a little.

"Business meetings?"

Inho remembered what Yul had told him. "If by chance I end up breaking her heart again… do forgive me…" He bit his lip.

"As I said, Dajeong-ssi. Be careful, and don't expect much. I have to go."

"Kang Gwajang…" she started as she tried to stop him. But he went out, leaving her to sink in her thoughts.

* * *

Dajeong arrived at The Perch with Inho's warning weighing heavy on her heart. For old times' sake she was wearing one of the nice dresses she had bought as the prime minister's wife. Its reddish hue matched the highlights in her hair almost perfectly.

"Don't expect much," she told herself as she was escorted to Yul's table. But as soon as she saw him, her heart jumped and she could barely contain her excitement.

"Candidate-nim!" she greeted him with almost too much enthusiasm.

He smiled and rose to welcome her.

"Nam Dajeong-ssi, it's good to see you," he said as he helped her with her chair.

"It's good to see you, too, Candidate-nim," she said as she flashed him a genuine smile. All of Inho's precautions had now vanished from her mind.

They ordered and took their time chatting about pleasantries. Dajeong was in no hurry. She just wanted to enjoy a moment with Yul for once. Unfortunately, that time was too short.

"So you are not going to tell me about your trip, then."

"It's was a private trip for just Appa and me, so I'm sorry, but no."

Putting his hands together, Yul leaned forward and gave her a long look with his caring, yet piercing eyes.

"I'm sure you want to know why I asked you to dinner tonight?"

"To be honest, I was a little surprised," said Dajeong.

"You see…" Yul began. "I… wanted to… let you know that I appreciate everything you've done for me and for the children…"

In an instant Dajeong knew what he was about to say, and her eyelids lowered as she became sad.

"But we can't be together right now… that's what you were about to say, isn't it?"

Yul was relieved that she understood.

"Who knew that things were going to happen this way?"

"You are still in mourning…"

"That doesn't mean… that I don't… care about Dajeong-ssi… I do, but…"

Dajeong got up, teary-eyed.

"You don't have to say any more, Candidate-nim. I respect your decision."

"Dajeong-ssi… Please don't take it personally…" begged Yul. "It's just that circumstances…"

He gritted his teeth, frustrated that he was unable to articulate his complicated feelings to her.

"I will always admire and respect you, Candidate Kwon Yul," said Dajeong as she forced herself to smile. And with a bow, she found herself walking quickly to the restaurant door.

"Dajeong-ssi!" Yul cried.

Dajeong heard him running after her, so she ducked into a hidden corner of the building and waited for him to pass by. Yul looked for her several times before he finally gave up and went back to his table, brokenhearted.

Across the street from The Perch, Inho waited anxiously until a forlorn Dajeong stumbled out. His eyes followed her as she walked down the street.

"Oh Appa, what do I do?" she cried as she wandered the streets for awhile and made her way to a food stall for some alcohol. As she sat down, she felt a firm hand grasp her shoulder. She looked up and saw Inho, but couldn't say anything.

"Don't drink here. Let me take you home."

She started to cry.

"But I want some soju, Kang Gwajang-nim. Soju!" she pleaded.

"It won't solve anything," he said as he took her arm and tried to help her up, but she resisted him.

"Leave me alone!" she cried.

"Hmmm…" he let out a closed sigh as he thought of what to do. Then without any warning he scooped her up and carried her to his car.

"You're coming with me," he said.

She squeaked out an "ah!" but lay still in his arms, occasionally burying her face against his collarbone so she wouldn't be recognized.

When they got to her place, she lingered in front of the door as if she had lost her wits. He noticed and searched her purse for her keys to unlock the door, then he escorted her in. She remained like a damaged robot, unable to function.

"Thank you…" was all she could manage to say.

"Get some sleep, Dajeong-ssi. Sleep as long as you need to feel better," he said as he led her to the bedroom.

He went to her bed and untucked a corner of her sheets, and then he beckoned her to get in.

"Come on."

She kicked off her shoes and obeyed, nice dress be damned. He covered her with the blanket and tucked her in.

"I'll come back in the morning," he said as he held up her key. "In the meantime, I'm keeping this just in case."

She just stared at him as he turned off all of the lights except her bedside lamp. Inho opened the door and locked it from the inside.

"Good night," he said gently before he went out and shut the door.

As soon as he left, Dajeong started to sob until a torrent of tears spilled out of her and she wailed.

Outside her door, Inho heard it all.

"I wish I could be in there with you, Dajeong-ssi. Then I would hold you all night…" he murmured sadly as he slumped down to the floor with his back against the door. There he remained, guarding her until morning.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_My imagination is all fired up and I can't wait to tell you what happens next!_

* * *

Inho opened his groggy eyes and saw the sun's morning rays scattered throughout an unfamiliar building hallway. Where was he? Then he looked around and found himself sitting in front of Dajeong's door. Omo, had he been there all night? Luckily it was seven o'clock on a Saturday morning and he didn't need to be anywhere else. He got up and stretched his stiff joints.

"Dajeong-ssi," he called out as he knocked on her door. After knocking three times, he took her key out of his pocket and unlocked it.

He went in and ventured cautiously towards her bedroom, where the sound of a light snore made him grin.

_I'm glad you're still alive, Dajeong-ssi._ The sound reminded her of the first time she had slept on Kwon Yul's office couch. With that thought in mind, Inho went back into the living room and promptly fell into a dreamless sleep as soon as he sat upon Dajeong's loveseat.

It was noon before Dajeong stirred and awoke in a tranquil apartment.

"Aigoo…" she moaned as she nursed her throbbing head and stumbled out of bed. As she headed for the kitchen, she caught sight of a stranger lying on her loveseat with his arm over his face.

"Ahhh!" she screamed as she checked herself to make sure she was dressed. "Who are you?!"

An exhausted Inho uncovered his face and slowly sat up as he stared back at her.

"Oh, Kang Gwajang-nim! Why are you here? Were you…" she glanced at his clothes. "Were you here all night?"

"Not exactly."

"Ah…." she let out a slow cry as she put her hand to her temple. "Did I drink soju last night? Why does it feel like I did?"

"I stopped you… but you might as well have," he said rather dully.

She smoothed her hair, embarrassed for him to see her unkempt like this, but he didn't bat an eye.

"You can go home now. Thanks for… helping me. You didn't have to do that."

She looked down and didn't see Inho frown as he rose from the couch and marched right up to her.

"What did he say to you?" he demanded to know.

"It doesn't matter. We're through."

Instantly his eyes became rounder and his jaw dropped a bit.

"You were right about not expecting much," she continued. "How naïve I was when I thought…"

She blinked away the salt drops in her eyes.

"What?" asked Inho.

_I thought I would have a happy home, with an older but respected husband and three stepchildren... and we would laugh and make music together… God, how am I going to bear it when the holidays come around again?_

"I should go," he said as he put her key down on the coffee table. "Hyung is probably wondering where I am."

"Will you greet him for me? I'm sorry I can't visit him today."

He nodded and made his way to the front door.

"Thanks for being my friend, Kang Gwajang-nim…"

Inho took a deep breath and went out, hoping she did not see the pained expression on his face.

* * *

At Yul's residence, Hyejoo was making another one of her increasingly regular visits. As she sat with him in his office, sipping coffee, she could tell that he was still not quite himself.

"Candidate-nim, I never thought I would say this in a million years, but I think you should…"

As if he already knew what she was going to say, he held up his hand.

"Don't say anymore. I am going through with my campaign."

He had expected her to be surprised, so he continued.

"I thought about our discussion earlier and came to the conclusion that it is better that I take my mind off my grief by serving the people. The children have promised to help me during this time, even if we are a long shot."

"Are you sure?"

He smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, Hyejoo, for helping me and the children."

"No need to thank me," said Hyejoo, a little embarrassed.

"Of course I do. You've had a hectic schedule yourself, so I appreciate the extra time and effort you've made."

Hyejoo smiled a little and nodded.

_I tried to forget you, Sunbae, but I just couldn't… Even when I go out on dates, you haunt me…_

* * *

Inho brought a cup of water up to his hyung's lips. Sooho took a sip and declined the rest.

"I'm sorry, hyung, I…" Inho began.

But Sooho interrupted his younger brother with a loud grunt.

"I… worried… your… future…"

Inho shook his head.

"Don't worry about that, Hyung. Just focus on getting well."

"Nam… Dajeong…?"

Inho tried to answer as cheerfully as he could.

"She couldn't be here today. But she thinks of you often."

Sooho said nothing as he watched Inho's face become sad before he turned it away.

"She… loves you?" asked Sooho.

Inho was surprised to hear Hyung ask this question. He sighed a little and changed the subject.

"Hyung, I was thinking of going overseas to study, but I can't just leave you here by yourself."

"Study… come back."

"But, Hyung…"

"Brother-in-law… help."

Inho bit his lip and did not reply.

* * *

At his apartment, Inho tossed his keys on his desk and turned on his laptop. A web page for the Universitat autonoma de Barcelona appeared on the screen. He stared at it and thought of Dajeong's last words to him.

_Thanks for being my friend…_

With his face set in stone, Inho pushed his chair aside, sat down at his desk, and started typing.

* * *

Dajeong sighed as she glanced at her watch, and then at the courtyard door.

"Aish, what a long meeting."

"Good, that means more time for you to tell me what happened next," said Appa. "When did you and Kang son-in-law become a couple?"

Dajeong couldn't help but laugh a little.

"I think Samonim had something to do with it happening so quickly. It was like the long winter extended through spring, and then summer suddenly came and there was no in between."

"Summer, huh?"

"It all started in August, exactly two years after the strange coincidences that brought me and Kwon Yul together. To be honest, sometimes I think what happened next was even more bizarre…"

* * *

Dajeong and Inho walked through the market looking for fresh noodles, cabbage, chicken and kochukaru to make spicy noodle soup. She looked through the produce and picked out the ones she wanted, as Inho dutifully carried her grocery bags.

Dajeong bought some tofu and grinned as she handed him the sack.

"Thanks for going grocery shopping with me, Kang Gwajang-nim."

"It's always a pleasure," he replied, wishing she knew just how much he looked forward to spending time doing even the most mundane things with her.

Just then Dajeong caught sight of a young man with curly reddish-brown hair. With his baby face, he was probably a college student, but she could tell that he was wealthy, as he dressed in expensive designer duds.

"Omo!" she gasped.

Inho looked around, trying to see what she saw.

"What is it?"

Dajeong pointed out the guy.

"He looks just like my ideal date when I was in high school!"

Inho studied the young man, confused as to what made him so attractive.

"You were into that type?" he asked as he crinkled up his nose.

Dajeong nodded.

"Cute, neh?"

"Pshh! Look at that ridiculous hair!" Inho smirked.

"Yah! Don't you mock what I liked, Kang Gwajang-nim! In those days, I would've died to have someone like him ask me out!"

"Really?" asked Inho skeptically, before a devilish grin appeared on his face. He leaned towards her and softly asked, "So… if I looked like that, you would go out with me, too?"

She gave him the "weirdo" look and said blithely, "Pfft, don't be silly. We're grown-ups now. Besides, you have a serious job."

Inho sniffed and straightened up to his full height.

"You're right. I'm just a government man. How could I possibly look as cute as that? No one would take me seriously."

"Exactly!" she sneered as she walked off, hoping he would drop the subject. "Pssh!"

But later that night, as she sat in bed writing in her diary, she couldn't help but giggle as she tried to imagine what Kang Gwajang-nim might look like if he had strawberry blonde hair. She covered her mouth as she burst out in a guffaw.

"Imagine him going to the office looking like that! Hahahaha!"

But her smile vanished when she was reminded of something else that had been lurking in her heart. He was just a friend, wasn't he?

"Of course, Nam Dajeong. Don't think of him any differently," she shrugged as she tried to put that wisp of a thought out of her head. Then she slid under her bed sheets and turned off her lamp, but lay awake for the rest of the night.

* * *

In between campaign trips, Inho made extra visits to the nursing home to see his hyung. On one of those visits, he was turning the corner of a hallway when he nearly bumped into a pretty young woman and her grandfather.

"Oh! Be careful, Grandfather!" said the young woman as she held him back, but the old man toppled forward and Inho had to help her get him back on his feet. She smiled and bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you."

"Anieyo. Is your grandfather a patient here?"

"No. He's visiting a friend. Right, Grandpa?"

But the old man hadn't paid attention to what she said at all. Instead, he gawked at Inho.

"Hyunchul?" he asked as if he were addressing a longtime missing friend.

"Ah, Kang Inho imnida," Inho introduced himself with a bow.

The old man stared at Inho, perplexed.

"Kang… Inho?"

"Please don't mind my grandfather," said his granddaughter with a smile. "Sometimes he gets a little confused."

"Are you from the town of Jeonju?" asked the old man.

"My family is from Seoul," replied Inho very politely.

The old man looked so disappointed that Inho felt pity for him.

"But… I've heard that we may have relatives in Jeonju… However, I don't really know them…"

"Grandfather…" began the young lady. "Don't harass him."

Inho chuckled. "It's quite all right."

"I'm Choi Yinna," said the girl, "and this is my grandfather, Choi Duseon."

"Very nice to meet you both. I will see you again, I hope?"

"Yes, as long as Grandfather's friend is staying here. Do you come here often?"

"I visit my hyung here almost every week."

"Ah, we will meet him next time."

"Wonderful. Goodbye, Choi Yinna-ssi, Choi Duseon-ssi."

They bowed and Inho took a few steps away before he heard Mr. Choi cry out, "Kang Hyunchul-ssi!"

Startled, Inho stopped and wondered why that name seemed familiar to him.

"Grandpa, he's not that person. Come on, let's go," said Yinna as she tried to escort Mr. Choi away.

"Kang Hyunchul?" Inho murmured. He turned around and stared at Mr. Choi and Yinna. "Who is he?"

With tears in his eyes, Mr. Choi took a few faltering steps and reached out his trembling hand to touch Inho's face.

"Hyunchul, I've finally found you."

Troubled, Inho could only stand there as he desperately tried to recall that name.

* * *

"Kwon Yul continued his tireless campaign to be elected as the chaebol reformer, and he gained traction. His speeches were so sincere, and he seemed so idealistic, that he quickly won nearly 40 percent approval in the polls. Sometimes he was out there shaking hands 12 hours a day."

"Aigoo, it would have been better if you were beside him," Appa remarked ruefully.

"It always pained me when I saw his campaign photos. The lines around his eyes deepened and he smiled through his exhaustion. I worried about him so much that I'm sure I annoyed poor Kang Gwajang-nim with all my questions."

"He looks thin. Is he eating well? Does he take his vitamins every day? Why is he wearing only a thin coat on a chilly day like that? How are the children doing with all the travel?"

"You were being human, Dajeong-ee. I always said that you had a soft heart that could be taken advantage of. I can see now that if your husbands hadn't been honorable men, you would have been in dire straits, indeed."

Dajeong laughed.

"I would have defended myself well, Appa. After all, I was the nation's newsmaker for awhile."

"Hmm… But why do I get the feeling that you ended up being in the news again?"

"Uh, that… you'll see, Appa…" she said.

* * *

Yinna brought a glass of tea to her grandfather's bedroom door.

"Grandpa, I brought you something to drink," she announced as she knocked on the door.

When she heard no reply, she cautiously opened the door.

"Grandfather?"

She found him standing near his dresser, staring at a photo in his hand.

"What are you looking at, Grandfather?" she asked as she put the tea down on his end table. Then she leaned over and stared at the worn black and white photo, and her eyes widened.

"Isn't that you when you were young? But how did you end up taking a picture with that man we met at the nursing home the other day?"

"I told you he was Hyunchul," Mr. Choi replied. "You must go find him again for me."

"We'll see him at the nursing home again, Grandfather, I promise," Yinna tried to reassure him. "Now come, you should lie down."

The old man patted his granddaughter's arm and went with her to his bed. Now Yinna wondered whether to tell her father about _Harabeoji's_ photo.

* * *

Joonki put two invitations on his friend's desk and grinned.

"From Chairman Choi of the CK Group," he said. "He was meeting with my father-in-law and asked me to do him this favor."

Yul picked up the invitations and glanced at them.

"Of course I'll go. It will be a good opportunity for me to network with the other chaebol. But… why are there two here?"

"Ah, the other invitation is for Kang Gwajang."

"Kang Gwajang?"

"Chairman Choi is on the lookout for a future son-in-law. He asked me to give extra invitations to anyone who might be a candidate."

"I see …." said Yul. "I'll ask Kang Gwajang to attend."

Inho entered at that moment with a report in hand. When he saw Joonki, he bowed.

"Minister Park," Inho greeted him.

"Kang Gwajang," replied Joonki cheerily before he turned back to Yul. "I'll see you both there."

Yul nodded. Joonki went out as Inho wondered where "there" was.

* * *

At the Scandal News office, Dalpyo handed Dajeong her next assignment and rubbed his hands with excitement. As Heechul looked on, Dajeong scanned her assignment.

"A formal invitation at last! Scandal News has been invited to a charity gala sponsored by the chaebol, so we don't have to sneak in!" cried an ecstatic Dalpyo.

"Oh? Kwon Yul is going to be there?" said a surprised Dajeong as she read the guest list.

"Not just Kwon Yul, but the other presidential candidates, and powerful company executives and celebrities as well! So much work, ah!"

"Mugunghwa Heritage Foundation. Wow, I thought some of these guys hated each other! Are they all attending? How did this charity get them to participate?" asked Heechul as he read the list over Dajeong's shoulder.

"Ah, that is all due to the skillful maneuverings of the charity's biggest sponsor, CK Group Chairman Choi Hansong!" declared Dalpyo as he pointed out the man's photo to them.

"I've heard about him. He seems to be a good guy of sorts, even though you can never be sure about those chaebol types nowadays," replied Heechul with a dubious smirk.

"He hasn't had any scandals, if that's what you mean," said Dajeong, "which is more than we can ask from most of them."

"Chairman Choi keeps a low profile, except for this one time of the year when he comes out of hiding," remarked Dalpyo. "Heechul, make sure you get some good pictures of him."

"I will, Editor-nim," Heechul grinned.

"Wait a minute… how did we get this invitation to the gala?" asked a puzzled Dajeong. "Was it Kwon Yul?"

"Maybe, who knows? As long as you and Heechul get in there! Make sure you interview all of the guests you can!"

"But they might balk if I tell them I'm from Scandal News…"

"Hmmm…" said Dalpyo as he put a finger against his jaw. "I've been thinking of creating a new division to my company… one that will report more serious news."

"Really? That would be a 'serious' change for you, Editor-nim," said Heechul. "Tee hee."

But Dalpyo ignored Heechul's attempt at a joke.

"Let's call it… 'Reveal News'. What do you think, Reporter Nam?"

Dajeong thought about the name and agreed.

"Reveal News… It's a much more respectable name. I can go in there and confidently say that I am from Reveal News!"

"Good!" Dalpyo clapped his hands together. "Let's get ready to do our biggest story this year!"

"Yeah!" yelled Dajeong with a fist pump. Heechul just laughed and shook his head as he gathered his equipment.

* * *

Dajeong and Heechul arrived at the Grand Mansion of the Epoch Hotel on a warm summer night, wearing their professional best, she in her royal blue dress suit, and him in his best black suit.

"Wow, Noona! Look at the guests! All that wealth on display!" he exclaimed as he looked out across the beautiful garden of the Beaux-Arts-style building.

Dajeong grinned as she brushed Heechul's black coat and examined his tie.

"You look just fine, Heechul-ssi. Ready?"

"Hey, I think I see Candidate Kwon Yul!" said Heechul as he pointed out Yul to Dajeong. "And… wait a minute, isn't that Kang Inho?"

"Oh? He didn't tell me he would be here," said Dajeong, who was not surprised at all that her friend looked impeccable from head to toe.

"Nam Dajeong-ssi, is that you?" cried a familiar voice.

Dajeong whirled around and saw Ruri, who looked super elegant in her formal red column gown.

"Well, fancy seeing Scandal News here," said Ruri with a grin.

"That's Reveal News for you," replied Dajeong proudly.

"So you've moved up now, congratulations."

Ruri put her hands on her hips and posed for Heechul, whose jaw dropped.

"Well, aren't you going to take a picture of me?" she demanded.

"Ah, yes, yes," said Heechul as he hurriedly snapped a few photos of her.

Heechul looked around and saw Chairman Choi standing by the mansion entrance, talking with other guests.

"Noona, I've spotted Chairman Choi. I'm going to go take some snapshots of him and I'll be right back, okay?"

"Go," Dajeong signaled him. Then she turned back to chat with Ruri, who had snagged a glass of red wine from a waiter's tray.

Dajeong took her reporter's notebook out of her purse and started writing.

"How much did you donate to the cause tonight?" she asked her celebrity friend.

"Over one hundred million Won," replied Ruri. "The event just started, but already I've met so many rich and powerful people that I've never known before."

Just then, Choi Yinna came out of the mansion and joined her father's side, wearing a silver and white ball gown.

"Omo, if it isn't little miss princess herself," remarked Ruri as she watched a group of young men flock to Yinna's side.

Dajeong watched the scenario with amusement and made a few more notes.

"Who is that? She's so pretty."

"Choi Yinna, CK Group Chairman Choi Hansong's daughter, and the apple of his eye. What a lucky girl… all those socialites vying for her attention."

"Some of them look pretty desperate though, don't you think?"

"Didn't you know that Chairman Choi is looking for a son-in-law? He is actively scouting out all of the eligible bachelors in this place tonight," said Ruri as she took another sip of wine. "I wish I had a chaebol daddy to find someone for me, too."

"Oh…" replied Dajeong as she watched the breathtakingly beautiful young lady float through the crowd of young men as if she were queen of the world.

"Is Chairman Choi really that rich?"

"Ha!" Ruri laughed at her friend. "He's even wealthier than Chairman Na! However, I heard that he started out as an entrepreneur, so he doesn't act like a typical chaebol chairman who inherited his money."

But Dajeong was by now only half listening as she saw Inho across the garden, looking very dapper as he conversed with some foreign guests.

Ruri poked Dajeong in the ribs with her elbow.

"Hey, you should be saying, 'Thank you, Ruri. Now you've given me some ideas to scout out eligible bachelors and write a story about them.' Like," she paused. "You know, your friend over there," she said as she pointed at Inho.

"Kang Gwajang-nim?" replied Dajeong as her heart beat faster.

"He's a little too… stiff... for me, but he and Miss Choi might be good together, don't you think?"

Dajeong didn't know which shocked her more, the fact that Ruri had thought about dating Inho, or that she thought he might make a good husband for Miss Choi. As Dajeong glanced back and forth between Yinna and Inho, she noticed that with the crowds in front of her, Yinna hadn't spotted Inho yet, but she was rapidly approaching him.

"I have to go," said Dajeong as she tried to stay calm.

Ruri looked at her friend strangely, but Heechul stopped his noona from leaving.

"Noona, hurry! Pink Boi just showed up and we need to get an interview with him if we can!"

But Dajeong looked back at Yinna, who was now standing only a few feet away from Inho with her back to him. Likewise, Inho's back faced her as well.

"Come on, Noona!" cried Heechul as he yanked Dajeong away from watching.

Yinna and Inho finished their respective chats and turned around to face each other. Their stunned expressions quickly gave way to incredulous recognition.

"Choi… Yinna-ssi?" asked Inho.

"You're that ajusshi from the hospital, aren't you?" cried Yinna, who could not disguise her excitement.

A few feet away, Chairman Choi, having perceived the delighted expression on his daughter's face, quickly stepped in to meet Inho.

"There you are, Yinna-ee. Is this one of your friends?"

Yinna smiled as she introduced Inho to her father.

"Abeoji, he is the one who helped Harabeoji when we were at the nursing home last week," she told the chairman. "But how did you end up being here?" she asked Inho.

Inho bowed to the chairman and said, "Kang Inho imnida. I am Candidate Kwon Yul's Chief of Staff."

Chairman Choi and Yinna looked at each other as if they had hit the jackpot.

"Kwon Yul's Chief of Staff, you say? That is a very important position, indeed."

"Great!" said Yinna. "My father, Choi Hansong, Chairman of the CK Group."

It was Inho's turn to be surprised.

"You are from the CK Group?" he asked Yinna, to which she happily nodded.

Chairman Choi offered his hand to Inho.

"Yinna told me about how you helped my abeoji," he said.

Inho shook his hand, a little stunned that the girl he had met at the nursing home was actually a wealthy socialite.

"It was nothing, Choi Chairman-nim," he replied. He couldn't help but feel that he was being evaluated by Yinna and her tycoon father. By their simultaneous grins, he guessed that they had judged him favorably for something. But what?

In the meantime, after missing her opportunity to speak with Pink Boi, (even though Heechul did manage to snap some nice photos of him), Dajeong ran into Yul and Hyejoo, who were sipping drinks as they discussed their political alliance. For a moment, Dajeong's mind went blank and she couldn't find anything to say to them. Luckily, Heechul came to her rescue.

"Candidate Kwon and Assemblywoman Seo, can I take a picture of both of you together?" asked Heechul.

Yul and Hyejoo put down their drinks and posed together.

"Of course," said Hyejoo.

Dajeong remained tongue-tied, even after Heechul took the obligatory photos. Hyejoo took her drink back up again and said, "you look well, Reporter Nam. Did you have any questions for us?"

"Ah, yes," said Dajeong as she took out her notebook and started scribbling furiously. "Candidate Kwon Yul, how do you feel about your popularity at the polls? You are only behind the front runner by eight percent."

Her question made Yul almost miss those days when Dajeong had asked him about his cologne or the type of underwear he wore. Now the woman in front of him was much too serious. He cleared his throat.

"I'm… very happy to have the support of so many citizens. I will work hard to make their voices heard."

Dajeong didn't look up as she continued scribbling. "Seo Uiwon-nim, should Kwon Yul be elected president, will your newly formed Forward Vision Party, or FVP, be aligned with his policies?"

Hyejoo gave Yul a sidelong glance and replied, "We may. Candidate Kwon has yet to clarify his stances on several major policies. We will carefully consider them and make a decision when he does so."

Dajeong nodded anxiously as she hoped to get through her questions as quickly as possible.

"What is your relationship with the Mugunghwa Heritage Foundation? Have you always supported them in the past?"

Yul and Hyejoo looked at each other to see who would reply first.

"To be honest, this is my first time here, but I think this organization has done some fine work for the senior citizens of our country, and I plan on supporting them in the future," said Yul.

"I've seen the lives of elderly citizens improve directly as a result of all of the donations and volunteer work done by MHF, and I encourage women everywhere to take up the cause of preserving our heritage by caring for our elders," replied Hyejoo.

Dajeong gave them a wan smile and bowed. She was grateful for the small crowd of reporters that had now gathered behind her, waiting for their turn.

"Thank you both, and… fighting…" she said as she closed her notebook.

Yul opened his mouth to say something to her, but Reporter Byun took her place as soon as she stepped away.

Heechul followed her as he admired his photographic handiwork.

"Editor-nim will be so pleased with our coverage!" he laughed. "Hey Noona, Kwon Yul and Seo Hyejoo gave you some good sound bites tonight. You'll be able to write a great article, right?"

Dajeong nodded as she opened her notebook.

"Of course," she replied, even as she looked at her writing under the lamplight. To her consternation, it was all nothing but scribbles.

"Wow, can you read that, Noona?" asked Heechul, who tried to decipher it.

Dajeong slammed her notebook shut, nearly trapping his nose in the process.

"It's my secret shorthand," she said, as she walked off with her nose in the air. But she stopped when, through the crowd, she spotted Inho still chatting with Yinna and Chairman Choi. That same group of adoring young men that had encircled her earlier were now gathered not too far from them. With their drinks in hand, they pretended not to be interested in the chairman's conversation with Inho, but every one of them was eavesdropping.

"In either case, I must invite you to lunch," the chairman said to Inho. "Next Saturday – come to my house next Saturday, Kang Gwajang."

Inho tried to keep his consternation under wraps as he avoided the adoring gaze of Yinna-ssi.

"I am grateful, Chairman Choi, but it really isn't necessary..."

"Come now, Kang Gwajang. No bachelor that I know of has ever turned down a hot meal with me. Come at noon for lunch. It's an order," the Chairman grinned at Inho. "Let's go, my daughter. It's time for us to prepare for the prize drawings."

"Thank you, Chairman-nim," Inho replied with an obligatory bow.

Yinna gave him a sweet smile before waltzing to the stage with her father. Meanwhile, Inho overheard the other young men grumbling as they left to follow her.

"Lucky guy. How do we get an invitation to the Chairman's house for lunch?" whispered one.

"Ha! Don't you get it? You have to look like a future son-in-law to be invited. Dream on!" said another, who slapped his compatriot on the head.

With an open-mouthed frown, Inho wondered how he would ever get out of this predicament.

"Hyung!" Heechul called out as he ran to him.

"Heechul-ssi," Inho forced himself to smile. "I didn't think I would see you here."

"Dajeong noona is here, too!"

"She is?" Inho looked around and spotted her, but she was quickly walking to the exit and seemed to be avoiding everyone. "But is she leaving?"

Heechul spotted her and rang her on his phone.

"Noona, where are you going?"

"I have to get an article out…"

"But I thought Editor-nim said tomorrow morning was fine."

"Uh… I'm not feeling well," Dajeong excused herself. "Please continue your reporting here for as long as you want. Don't worry, I'll make sure you get full credit on the article when it is published. Bye!"

Inho started, but then stopped when he saw that she had already gone into the hotel.

"Not feeling well? You never used that excuse before…" Heechul murmured in full hearing of Inho, who was now worried. Inho then spotted Yinna, who could not break away from her fan club.

"Have you taken pictures of Choi Yinna-ssi yet? Better go get them while you can."

"Yes, you're right as usual, Hyung. I'll go," said Heechul. "Thanks!"

Heechul ran toward the stage, but he was blocked by too many suitors to get a good shot of Yinna. After much jostling, he was able to get through, but not without angering some of the young chaebols.

"Look at that guy," said one of them to his friend. "How dare he come here?"

The other one smirked and whispered something back to his friend.

By now, Heechul had set up the perfect shot of Yinna, and was getting ready to push the button, when he felt a great force from behind that sent him and his equipment flying forward.

He landed at Yinna's feet and caught his camera just in time. She screamed and lifted her long skirt to sidestep him, but his tripod hit a punch bowl on a nearby table, causing it to topple over and spill red punch all over the ground. Some of it splashed against her silvery skirt.

"Oh no!" he cried.

Heechul was mortified and scrambled to grab a wet washcloth to wipe her dress, but she only screamed and backed away from him more. Feeling terrible, he tried to apologize as the other young men surrounded him, ready to punch him out.

"I'm so sorry, Choi Yinna-ssi. I don't know what happened… It was an accident!"

Yinna looked down at her silk gown, which was now ruined, despite the fact that the splash of red didn't look so bad. Its pattern made her skirt look like a work of abstract art.

"My dress!"

"I'm really sorry!"

"You'll have to compensate me for this!"

Heechul groaned. How could he possibly pay for her hundred million Won dress?

"Miss, I told you I'm sorry. I'm just a photographer. I can't pay for your dress…"

"Of course not, because you are just a lowlife paparazzo. Now get away from her!" yelled a socialite.

"Yah! What do you mean by insulting journalists, huh? I make an honest living taking pictures of beautiful people like you!" Heechul yelled back.

One of the socialites grabbed Heechul's press badge and read it.

"Haha, he's from that trash news outlet, Scandal News."

"You mean that tabloid? Then he's not even a real journalist."

"No wonder he has no manners!"

Heechul's jaw dropped and he was speechless until Chairman Choi walked up and grabbed him by the arm.

"You're coming with me, young man."

"I was pushed from behind! It really was an accident, I swear!" protested Heechul, who now wished more than anything that Noona had stayed.

As they went into the hotel, Heechul saw Dajeong looking very down as a group of the mean government madames who had shunned her at last year's charity auction surrounded her.

"So you're back to working your day job, eh?" taunted one madame.

"I knew she wouldn't last as the prime minister's wife!" sneered another.

"Please, I am leaving now," said Dajeong as she tried to get through their blockade.

"About time you said that," the first one sniffed.

"Yah! Stop it!" cried Yoonhee as she came to Dajeong's rescue.

"What! I thought you hated her?" asked one of Yoonhee's friends.

"Not anymore. She's had just as hard a time as my family, okay? Leave her alone."

Yoonhe nodded in the direction of the hotel exit, and Dajeong, taking the hint, bowed and left with her head down.

Meanwhile, inside a small conference room, Heechul stared into space as Yinna sat in her soiled ball gown with her arms folded, while the Chairman paced in front of them.

"It really was an accident, Chairman-nim. May I leave, please?" he asked, desperate to get out of there.

"Humph! Definitely a no," said Yinna.

"What is your name?" asked Chairman Choi.

"Park Heechul, photographer for Scand… Reveal News and other outlets."

"How long have you been doing this work?"

"Ever since I got out of college."

"Which was at…?"

"Seoul Institute of the Arts, Chairman-nim. And it really was an accident, I am not lying. I am very sorry for what happened."

With his hands behind his back, Chairman Choi mused upon Heechul's words.

"I accept your apology. When my daughter gets engaged, I want you to be the photographer at her engagement party."

"What?!" exclaimed Yinna.

Heechul was so stunned that he could only gape at Chairman Choi.

"Thank… Thank you, Chairman-nim!" he cried happily before bowing several times. "Thank you!"

"You can go now."

"Yes, Chairman-nim. Thank you! Thank you!" said Heechul before he ran out of the conference room.

Yinna was totally flabbergasted.

"Abeoji, you didn't mean that, did you?"

"A young man like that just needs an opportunity to succeed, Yinna."

"But what about my dress?!"

"Didn't you bring another one?"

"But this one's my favorite…" she pouted.

"The other one is very nice, too. Besides, I liked it."

"You did?" Yinna's face brightened.

"I do," Chairman Choi grinned as he touched her cheek. "My beautiful daughter."

Yinna shook her father's arm a little, then she leaned her head against his shoulder, smiling.

* * *

After she got home, when Dajeong thought about what she had seen of Miss Choi and Inho, she felt her heart sink a thousand feet down towards an abyss that terrified her.

"Ottoke…?" she murmured as she remembered all of the warm moments they had had together, from the meals at the nursing home, to that day when he had picked up the frog dolls for her in the rain and bought her that giant sub sandwich.

Her phone buzzed. It was Inho, texting to say that he was bringing her a late night snack after all her hard work covering the gala. Not long afterwards, she tried to smile back when she opened the door and saw his usual half-grin. It was as if nothing had changed between them.

"I heard you weren't feeling well, so I brought your favorite ramen," he said as he held up his takeout bag.

"You didn't have to, Kang Gwajang-nim. Thank you," she said as she let him in.

"Somehow all that party food couldn't compare to a bowl of this stuff eaten with you, Dajeong-ssi," he said as he took off his coat. However, he noticed that her face did not reflect her usual cheeriness.

"How was the party for you?" she tried to ask nonchalantly.

"Well, you saw it. I met a lot of people, for sure. It was just a big arena for the rich to display their… 'generosity'," he said as he unpacked the food. "Come, sit down and eat," he beckoned her.

They sat at her kitchen table, just like they usually did, but Dajeong could barely take a bite. Meanwhile, Inho ate with gusto.

"Emm…. this is good," he remarked as he stuffed his cheeks.

"Did you know that Chairman Choi, who hosted the gala, was looking for a son-in-law?" she asked him quietly.

He stopped chewing and stared at her.

"Ruri told me," she continued.

"Ah, that…" he said. "The chairman has invited me to his house for lunch next Saturday."

"Oh… that will be a… a good chance for you then," she replied.

He put down his chopsticks and stared at her.

"What are you saying, Nam Dajeong-ssi?"

It had been so long since he had called her by her full name that she jumped a little when he said it.

"I mean… it's a great opportunity, considering your career and all…"she said as she avoided looking at him. If she hadn't, she might have seen how his eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted into a smirk.

"Huh, so Dajeong-ssi thinks I should be the son-in-law of a chaebol just to get ahead?"

"Look at Minister Park. It's helped him, hasn't it? And Chairman Choi seems to have gotten his wealth by working hard, instead of just being born into it, so he doesn't put on airs. Whoever he chooses will be lucky…."

Inho got up from the table so suddenly that it startled her.

"Are you serious?! How can you…"

"I said nothing wrong. The reality is that if you marry Choi Yinna-ssi, you would have an enormous advantage…"

"Enough!" he cried as he stared at her furiously.

_Dajeong-ssi, don't you know me after all this time?_

Her eyes grew red as her brain tried to figure out why… why things had to be so complicated?

"But… you should find a wife soon, right? You are the last… man in your family…"

Without a word, he picked up his coat and went to the door.

"I will go to Chairman Choi's house next Saturday," he declared softly as he went out.

Dajeong stared at the door until she collapsed in a puddle of tears.

"Stupid Nam Dajeong! What are you crying for?"

She dabbed at her eyes and tried to be stoic as she ate, but she soon found herself sobbing again.

Outside her door, Inho kept starting and stopping, glancing at her door and wondering if he shouldn't go back and be with her. At last, with his shoulders slumped, he left.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

___If you have read this far, a big thank you! _I had a lot of fun referencing Yoon Shi Yoon's other TV characters in this chapter. 

_I also learned how to insert proper section break symbols, so this chapter will look a little different._

* * *

In her grandfather's room, Yinna smiled with a dreamy look in her eye as she drew back his blankets. Grandpa Choi sat down and sighed.

"You stayed up much too late, Grandpa," she said sweetly as she helped him get into bed. But he did not lie down.

"I couldn't sleep when you told me he was there," he said.

"It was a surprise, but who knew that he was presidential candidate Kwon Yul's Chief of Staff? What a small world."

"Did your abeoji introduce you to some other young men?"

"He tried, but… I like Kang Gwajang-nim the best so far."

Grandpa Choi grinned. "No one else there made an impression on you?"

Yinna's sweet smile turned into a sarcastic smirk.

"Yes, Harabeoji, but he is someone I would never marry," she said as she folded her arms.

"Why? Because he's an arrogant chaebol?" asked Grandpa with a chuckle.

"No! He was the rudest, most ill-mannered photographer I'd ever met! He got my dress dirty, but he refused to compensate me!"

"Did he apologize?"

"Well…" Yinna reluctantly replied, "he did… but it wasn't sincere, you know."

"How do you know it wasn't sincere?"

"I just know, Grandpa," she fumed. "Can you believe it? Abeoji offered him a job!"

"Then your father must like him. You know, when I first met your grandmother, she wouldn't accept me, either. But then we were married happily for the next 50 years. So you never know if he might be the one…"

"Never, Grandpa! I'd rather stay single and take care of you."

"Pssh!" he said as he waved away what she said. "Don't speak such silly nonsense."

"I mean it, Grandpa!"

She laughed and threw her arms around his shoulders. With a big smile, he brought up his hand and gently patted her head.

#

Across town in a dimly lit apartment, Dajeong tossed and turned in her bed as she slept.

Running… running hard on a sunny day…

She was running up a steep hill to a small glass chapel that shone at the top of it. With the end in sight, at last she could see the chapel doors. But when she reached them, she could not open them. Meanwhile, she could look straight into the chapel and see Inho waiting at the altar for his bride, who was slowly walking down the aisle toward him. Inho's lips broke into a big smile.

"Kang Gwajang-nim!" she cried, but she heard no sound coming from her throat. Every word she tried to shout or scream came out silent. Frustrated, she could only bang on the door with all her might.

"Kang Gwajang-nim!"

Suddenly the doors opened and she found herself face to face with Inho and Yinna, who were walking out of the church.

"Ah!" Dajeong screamed in anticipation of a collision with the bride and groom, but instead they strolled right through her. Stunned, she examined herself and found that the other guests also walked through her on their way out. It was as if she didn't exist.

Tears ran down her cheeks as she turned back toward the wedding party.

"Guardian Angel!" she cried.

One by one, all of the memories she had had with him – the snowball fight, Christmas and the fountain pen he gave her… even the first time they met in front of Kwon Yul's old house… these images flashed before her, and then they faded.

Next, Dajeong found herself in a dark house, staring out a window at Yinna, who was having a snowball fight with Inho in her red coat. Then the scene shifted and Dajeong saw Inho giving Yinna the fountain pen.

"No!" she screamed as she reached out to hang on to what was left of her memories with him.

Dajeong woke up from her nightmare hyperventilating. As she looked around her room, she spotted her phone on the end table and grabbed it. She hit the speed dial for "Guardian Angel" and was about to press the call button when she noticed the time – it was 3:30 in the morning.

"I can't call him now," she murmured.

She put her phone back down and shivered as she folded her arms around her shoulders to ward off the cold. Then she slid down under her bed sheets and covered her head. There, she sobbed.

#

Inho lay awake in bed and glanced at the alarm clock beside him with its glowing blue numbers. It was 3:31 a.m. in the morning.

"The reality is that if you marry Choi Yinna-ssi, you would have an enormous advantage…" he mulled over Dajeong's words to him.

"But why did she look so sad when she said it?" he wondered. "Is she... starting to care?"

After another moment in bed, he sighed and got up, put on his robe and went to his bookshelf, where a stack of books lay on the floor in front. Inho squatted down and picked each one up and put it in its place on the bookshelf. But his mind was only half present, for he nearly tossed aside the next book from the pile until he stopped and opened its cover to read the first page.

"The Kang Family Journal, 1980-1995."

Inho flipped through pages of the journal until he came to one that contained a photo of him and his mother tucked in between the leaves. With a sad half-smile, he caressed the photo and muttered, "I wish you were still here, Omma."

He put down the book on his coffee table and went to his apartment window to gaze at the Seoul skyline. Meanwhile, a breeze flipped the pages of the book until it landed on one that displayed a small family tree. The handwritten name, "Kang Hyunchul" appeared near the top of the tree.

#

Grandpa Choi got out of the Cadillac that had taken him to his ancestral home and looked around as his security entourage surrounded him.

"Honorary Chairman-nim," said one as he bowed. "What would you like to do first?"

But Grandpa did not answer him right away. Instead, he gazed out at the green fields around him and closed his eyes. The long ago sights and sounds of his childhood came flooding back to him.

He was ten years old again, and his best friend of the same age, Hyunchul, had come over to play. Although their families were both very poor, Hyunchul was a born tinkerer who was always dreaming up ideas for machinery and tools that would make life easier for everyone. But today they were just playing ball.

"Hyung!" shouted Duseon at Hyunchul, who was only half a year older and therefore entitled to that honorific.

"Duseon, I made something for you. You have to come home with me to see it!"

Duseon laughed.

"Is it the gun you had promised me?"

"Something better than that!" insisted Hyunchul.

Suddenly, they looked up at the sound of Japanese planes flying overhead. Hyunchul took Duseon by the hand and ran into the tall grass for cover.

"Hurry, Duseon! Follow me!"

"I'm coming, Hyung!"

Duseon looked up only once to see the squadron of planes approaching, and he followed behind his friend for as long and fast as his little legs would carry him.

#

Chairman Na was receiving a massage in his leather chair when he heard his office door open. He lifted his head and eyed his assistant, who came in and bowed.

"Speak," grunted the old man as he continued with his rubdown.

"Chairman-nim," began his assistant. "It seems that some changes are about to happen within the CK Group."

"Tell me."

"Rumor is that Honorary Chairman Choi Duseon, the father of Chairman Choi Hansong, will be divesting most of his company shares to his heirs soon. I've asked our man in there to confirm this."

"That's only natural, since it is likely that Miss Choi will marry soon."

"The process has already begun. I've also heard that he might revise his will."

"That is a must, too… unless you are worried about something…?"

"The Chois are thinking about adding another heir to their fortune. As you know, Chairman Choi invited some eligible young men to lunch today."

Chairman Na grinned.

"Perhaps he's thinking of making his son-in-law an heir? I almost did that as well…. Speaking of which, I want you to keep a close eye on Park Joonki."

"Of course, Chairman-nim. But why?"

"I am not so sure that he is on my side anymore. I want you to tag him and report all of his activities to me."

"Yes, Chairman-nim."

Chairman Na snorted and said to his masseuse, "Get out."

Startled, the woman quickly gathered her things.

"Yes, Chairman-nim," she said as she left.

Na stared at his assistant with his beady eyes.

"I am very unhappy with Presidential Candidate Kwon Yul, who seems to gain popularity by the day. Have we found anything we can use to end his candidacy yet?"

"Nothing yet, but Chairman Choi has invited Candidate Kwon's chief of staff to lunch."

"He did?"

"It seems that Kang Inho is a contender to be Choi's son-in-law."

"Is he? There is hardly anyone I hate more than my business competitor, Choi Hansong, even if he has done me no wrong. But if this guy becomes his son-in-law…"

"Don't worry. Secretary Bae is in the running as well."

Chairman Na raised his fist and slammed it down on his desk.

"How dare he interfere with my politics! Go keep an eye on Kang Inho, and notify Reporter Byun to be on the alert!"

"Yes, sir!" said the startled assistant. He quickly bowed and went out.

Chairman Choi snickered as he thought of all of his enemies.

"Gentlemen, let the games begin."

#

Late Saturday morning at Chairman Choi's house, Inho waited patiently for the butler to show him in. He did not wait long at all.

"This way, please," said the butler as he showed Inho into the parlor. When they arrived, Inho noticed that three other men, including Minister Park's Secretary, Bae Inkwon, were already there with Chairman Choi. Surprised by the group setting, Inho drew his lips into a taut smile.

Chairman Choi spotted Inho and grinned broadly at him.

"Ah, Kang Gwajang is here, welcome. Shall we go to the dining room? "

The other visitors nodded and followed behind their host obediently.

"Chairman-nim's house is very beautiful," complimented one.

"You haven't seen the prettiest part yet," said the smiling chairman as Yinna greeted them at the dining room entrance.

"I believe you have all met my daughter?"

Inho bowed politely but said nothing, even as the others greeted Yinna. He tried not to look in Yinna's direction as she happily gazed only at him. To him, lunch was a necessary ordeal which consisted of verbal sparring between the young men in order to attract the attention of the young lady seated at her father's left hand. Inho indulged in the conversation politely for the sake of his host, but nothing more.

After lunch, they retreated to the veranda to enjoy some tea. Chairman Choi addressed the group before him as Yinna made her observations, with most of them centering on Inho and how well he looked and behaved.

"As you may know, I invited all of you here because my daughter Yinna is now of age, and I am looking for an exceptional man to be her husband. Now is your chance to impress me. Of course, later, you will need to impress my wife, who is in America right now with my son."

The other men glanced at each other, but Inho stepped up and cut to the chase.

"If I may be permitted to speak candidly, Chairman-nim."

"Yes, Kang Gwajang?"

"I would respectfully request that you consider the other candidates here, because they are better than I am," he said with his eyes lowered.

Stunned, everyone stared at Inho until Chairman Choi laughed.

"Now that is a humble response, if I've ever heard one. But continue, Kang Gwajang.

"For example," said Inho as he extended his hand toward Joonki's secretary. "Secretary Bae here graduated at the top of his class, has impeccable family credentials, and has served the Ministry of Strategy and Finance loyally for eight years. He plays tennis on the weekends and is a marathon runner."

Secretary Bae's mouth opened as he heard Inho's introduction.

"Very persuasive, Kang Gwajang, and I'm sure Secretary Bae appreciates your recommendation, but there is no need to sell yourself short," replied Chairman Choi.

He looked across the room.

"I reviewed all of your resumes before you came here."

Chairman Choi turned back to Inho.

"But I suspect that you gave this response, perhaps, due to other reasons?"

"I have no parents, Chairman-nim, and no family wealth to recommend me," said Inho bluntly.

"Neither did I, when I started out. It seems that we have something in common," said the Chairman. "In fact, should any of you become my son-in-law, I hope you will find me different than most chaebol father-in-laws. Does this quell your worries, Kang Gwajang?"

"I am most grateful, Chairman-nim, and Yinna-ssi, for your consideration. But I do have another reason to recommend the others to you first."

Yinna looked at her father, wondering what that could be. She had already informed him that Inho was her top favorite among all of the young men she had met at the gala.

"Go on," said her father.

"There is a certain young woman… that I have held in high regard for awhile now. Even if I should marry another, my future wife must understand… that I will always continue to look out for this person and protect her."

Secretary Bae knew at once that Inho was speaking of Nam Dajeong, but he did not part his upturned lips. Choi Yinna's sweet face quickly turned sour.

"What a lucky young woman. I feel jealous of her already," she said with a half pout.

Chairman Choi approached Inho and sized him up.

"Is this all true?"

"I assure you that it is, Chairman-nim."

Inho waited for an angry response, but instead, the chairman gave a hearty laugh.

"Then, why don't you marry her, Kang Gwajang?"

Shocked, Inho stammered as he replied.

"To… to be honest, I'm… I'm not sure that… her heart will accept me."

"You seem like a persuasive young fellow," The Chairman mused. "You did go to law school, did you not?"

Inho nodded. "Yes, at Seoul University."

"Then why don't you use your powers of persuasion on her?"

Inho seemed astonished at this suggestion, as though he had not thought of it before.

"Abeoji!" cried a flabbergasted Miss Choi.

"It's quite all right, Yinna-ee. I think it would be better for you young people to find happiness with someone you prefer," replied her father. "And that applies to you also, Kang Gwajang."

Relieved, Inho bowed with utmost respect to the chairman.

"I am most grateful for your advice, Chairman-nim. I will apply it to my own situation."

The chairman looked pleased.

"Good. In the meantime, I could use someone like you at my company, should you become available after the presidential elections."

"Thank you, Chairman-nim. I will remember your kindness. Also," Inho said as he turned to Yinna. "May I greet Yinna-ssi's harabeoji before I leave?"

"He is making his annual trip to his hometown and won't be back until tomorrow," said Yinna. "But I'll give him your regards."

"Thank you, Miss Choi," said Inho. "Tell him I would love to… see Jeonju someday."

#

Dajeong sat in her favorite sandwich shop, sipping a soda and trying to finish her teriyaki sub as she spaced out. She had her notebook open and pen in hand, but the truth was that she hadn't written a single word all afternoon as she thought of Kang Gwajang-nim.

She was sure that by now he was with Chairman Choi and his gorgeous daughter, drinking a toast to his successful selection as the future son-in-law of the CK conglomerate.

_You should be happy for him…_ she thought, but she felt no joy in her heart at all.

"Happy…" she repeated in a dull and listless voice.

"Happy what?" a familiar voice asked.

She looked up, and there stood Inho, grinning. Her jaw dropped as she stared at him.

"Dajeong-ssi, why are you staring at me like I'm a ghost?"

"Aren't you… supposed to be at a mansion somewhere?"

He glanced at her blank notebook as he sat down across from her.

"You mean the lunch with Chairman Choi? It's done."

"How… did it go?" she asked as she braced herself for the expected answer.

He thought her voice sounded a little shaky, and a quick look at the fake smile pasted on her face confirmed his hunch that she was uncomfortable with this new turn of events.

With a sly half-grin, he replied, "Both the Chairman and Miss Yinna like me very much."

Dajeong took another bite of her sandwich without looking at him.

"That's good."

"So much that Chairman-nim even made me an offer to work for him."

"That's… very… good news, Kang Gwajang-nim. Congratulations," she offered. But she sounded so miserable that he couldn't help but laugh at her.

"Tsk, tsk, Dajeong-ssi must be jealous, because that was the most gloomy congratulations I have ever heard from anyone."

"No, that's not what I meant," she said in a low voice, still avoiding his eyes.

"You should take note of this for Scandal News. I think there will be an engagement soon," he said enthusiastically as he snapped his fingers.

"Yes, yes," she said as she scrambled to jot it down in her notebook. But as soon as her pen touched the paper, he reached out and put his hand over hers to stop her from writing.

"You don't need to do it right now. Finish your sandwich first," he said.

She stared at his hand, unable to move, yet somehow hoping that he would never remove it. He seemed to read her thoughts, and his hand remained firmly clamped over hers for a few more seconds.

"I asked Chairman Choi to consider somebody else to be his son-in-law," he declared in a quiet, serious voice.

She looked up at him, astounded.

"What?" she cried as her grip on her pen loosened. Slowly, he opened his fist and released her hand.

"Don't worry. Like I said, he likes me a lot."

_Fool_, she wanted to say, but she felt so relieved that all she could do was let out a long breath. He gauged her reaction and laughed.

"But… next Saturday is your birthday, so you'll let me treat you to dinner, won't you?" he asked as he leaned over to the side and bent his head down so low that she had to look him in the eye.

"If that is what Kang Gwajang-nim prefers doing," she shrugged.

"It would be my pleasure. Tell me, Dajeong-ssi, what is the birthday present you wish for the most?"

"I would just like to… belong somewhere, I guess…" she said in a wistful tone.

"Ah," he declared, as if he knew what she meant. "If only I were a fairy or an angel, then I would grant all of Dajeong-ssi's wishes."

"But you _are_ an angel, Kang Gwajang-nim. Have you forgotten? My Guardian Angel…"

"So I am. But I cannot force anyone to give you a home."

"No, and I wouldn't want that. But what about you? Don't you have a dream home that you have always wanted?"

"Of course. A clean, comfortable, warm and loving place…" he mused.

"Then why did you turn down Chairman Choi's daughter?"

She saw his silent grin, as if to say, _you should know why, Dajeong-ssi_.

"Anyway, dress up for your birthday. I want to take you somewhere nice. You deserve it after all you've been through in the past two years," he said.

"Neh," she acquiesced.

"Then we're all set. What sandwich shall I get today?" he wondered as he got up.

As she observed him at the counter, she felt herself turning to mush. He, on the other hand, felt a surge of confidence in his heart of hearts. At the end of the day, the girls who worked at the sandwich shop gossiped about that tall oppa who had swaggered out of their store with that lucky girl.

#

Grandpa Choi arrived home just in time for dinner at the kitchen, where his son and granddaughter were waiting. It was one of the peculiarities of their family that they vastly preferred eating at the kitchen table, rather than in their ornate dining room.

"Grandpa!" cried Yinna as she hugged him. "I hope your trip was pleasant, because you missed a lot that happened here."

"You know I make that trip every year at the same time, Granddaughter," said Harabeoji as he smoothed a strand of her hair.

"Then I'd better not get married at that time," said Yinna, pouting. "Or you'll miss my wedding, too!"

Grandpa chuckled at her suggestion.

"That might not be a bad idea. Then you can come with me and get married before our ancestors."

"What?!" she exclaimed. "You want me to have my wedding there?"

"What's so bad about that?" asked Chairman Choi. "Come eat, Father."

As soon as Grandpa Choi was seated, Yinna couldn't wait to tell him about the young man that was at their house for lunch.

"Can you believe it? He acted like he wasn't interested at all."

"What was his name again?" asked Grandpa Choi.

"Kang Inho," said the Chairman as he settled in for his bowl of bibimbap.

Grandpa stirred his food restlessly until he put down his chopsticks.

"Son, do me a favor," asked Grandpa so quietly that the Chairman took note of it.

#

Chairman Choi paced back and forth in his study as he held a resume in his hand. As he glanced at Kang Inho's name at the top of the page, he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in."

A short, narrow-nosed man who wore spectacles came in and bowed.

"Chairman-nim asked for me?"

The Chairman handed him Inho's resume.

"Detective Lee, please use that sheet of paper as a reference and do a deeper background check on that person. Most importantly, I want to know the names of his father and grandfather, and their hometown."

The detective scanned the page and nodded.

"It will be done, Chairman. Give me a few days and I'll find out everything you want to know."

"Good. You can go now."

The detective bowed and went out, closing the door.

Chairman Choi rubbed his knuckles a few times.

"Kang Inho, are you the person we've been looking for?"

#

When Inho went back to work on Monday, to Kwon Yul's staff he seemed unusually chipper.

"Your last trip before we get a small break in your travel schedule," he announced as he went into Yul's office.

Yul looked up from his desk and smiled.

"And much of this is due to your hard work with the logistics and scheduling, Kang Gwajang. Thank you."

"You will finish your tour of South Chungcheong Province on Friday, and then we take a break for debate preparations. I was wondering…" Inho paused for a moment as if he were considering something.

"What is it?" asked Yul.

"I would like to take next Monday as a vacation day, if Candidate-nim permits."

"Of course. Kang Gwajang deserves it. Take Monday and Tuesday."

"Are you sure, Candidate-nim? What about your speech at your alma mater's Women's Association on Tuesday night?"

"Don't worry. Assemblywoman Seo is going with me, and her secretary will handle things. Enjoy your time off."

"Thank you, Candidate-nim. Your car will arrive at 10 o'clock."

Inho bowed and turned to leave.

"Kang Gwajang, I heard that your meeting with Chairman Choi went well?" asked Yul as he remembered.

"Yes, it did."

"He told me you were at the top of Miss Choi's list."

"Ah… that…"

"I will say no more, as it is not my intention to interfere. But even if you have no time for love, as you say, at some point you will need to consider marriage, don't you think?"

Inho stared at Yul, at a loss for words. He wondered what else the Chairman had told him.

"I will consider it, Candidate-nim."

"I said that as your hyung," said Yul with a sincere smile.

"Thank you, Hyung-nim."

Inho bowed. As he walked out, he pondered how to tell Yul that he loved Dajeong.

#

Dajeong woke up on the morning of her birthday with her intuition tingling that something extraordinary was going to happen during the day.

"That's right, it's my 30th birthday," she said as she tried to smile. But it seemed strange to not have Appa around. Still, she would've preferred to stay in bed all day.

Her phone rang and she picked it up.

"Happy birthday, Dajeong-ssi," she heard Inho say on the other end.

"Thank you, Kang Gwajang-nim."

"Don't forget, tonight at 6 o'clock! Expect me in front of your building."

"I will be ready," replied Dajeong with a sparkle in her eye. She hung up, grinning from ear to ear, until another phone call interrupted her reverie. She glanced at the screen – it was Scandal News.

"Yeoboseyo?"

"Hurry and come over as soon as you can, Reporter Nam!" cried Dalpyo on the other line. "We have some major news to cover and we're shorthanded!"

"Oh… okay, but today is my birthday… I didn't plan on working!"

"I know it's terrible of me to ask you for help like this on your day off, but please, you are our only hope, Nam Gija," Dalpyo begged.

Dajeong's heart softened as she heard him pleading.

"All right, I'll help for as long as I can, but I already have something scheduled tonight that I absolutely can't cancel, okay?"

"I just need you for the morning. Thank you, thank you so much," Dalpyo breathed a sigh of relief.

Dajeong hung up and pursed her lips in a frown.

"This had better be big news!" she yelled, indignant at having to work on her birthday. "Aish!"

She stumbled out of bed and marched into her bathroom, slamming the door.

#

Inside Chairman Choi's home office, Detective Lee handed his client an envelope.

"It was a bit challenging, but I was able to find ample records on Kang Inho's father, which gave me bits of information about his grandfather."

"So they are from Jeonju?" asked the Chairman eagerly.

The detective nodded. "Just his grandfather. Both Mr. Kang and his father were born and raised in Seoul."

Chairman Choi took the papers out of the envelope and reviewed them.

"Thank you, Detective Lee. Good work."

After Detective Lee left, Chairman Choi wandered the hallways of his home. He came to a room at the end of one such hallway and carefully opened its blue door. As he walked in, he scanned the room's contents. All of the Choi family mementos were kept here – photos, trophies, and knickknacks of all kinds.

The Chairman walked to the northeast corner of the room, where a curious flat and round metal object that looked like a disk or a shield was displayed against the wall on its own perch. An indent the size of a bullet had warped, but did not puncture through the middle of it. Chairman Choi took down the object and examined it.

"Abeoji's stories are true, then?"

He took out his phone from his coat pocket and made a call.

"Yes, I want you to find Mr. Kang Inho and protect him from now on. Do this secretly for as long as you can."

He hung up and fingered the indent on the shield.

#

Dajeong ran into the Scandal News building, wondering what story could have Dalpyo so desperate for her help? She had checked her phone and had seen nothing out of the ordinary for a slow weekend news day.

"Editor-nim!" she shouted as she ran inside. Then she stopped, stunned at the sight before her.

The entire office was decorated with multi-colored balloons, and a table had been laid out with a beautifully decorated sheet cake in the center. On the cake were the words, "Happy birthday, Reporter Nam!"

Dajeong covered her mouth and gasped.

"Omo, what is this?"

"Surprise!" was the loud roar in response to her question as Dalpyo, Heechul, and even Ruri came out from hiding.

"Ruri? Was this your idea?" asked an astonished Dajeong.

"Of course, who else?" replied Ruri with her arms extended. "Come on!"

Dajeong hugged her celebrity friend.

"But what brings you here today? Did something happen to you?"

"Let's have some cake first, shall we?" said Ruri as she started carving and serving the confection.

But Dajeong was suspicious that something was up, so she waited until all were served, and then she asked again.

"What's going on?"

Ruri burst into tears.

"I'm so lonely!" she cried as she fell on Dajeong's shoulder.

Dajeong grimaced and patted Ruri's back. _How did I end up in this position?_ She wondered. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Dalpyo and Heechul, who stopped chewing.

"Uh… we didn't know…" began Heechul.

"When we mentioned that you weren't here because it was your birthday, she had the idea for a get together…"

"My… life… is… so… miserable…!" sobbed Ruri.

"Eat more cake," ordered Dajeong as she set Ruri down on a chair.

"Okay…"

Ruri nodded and scarfed down the cake on her plate. Dalpyo and Heechul watched, astonished at how much she could eat in one sitting.

"She is so skinny… and here we thought she ate only a few mouthfuls each meal…" said Dalpyo.

"And daintily, too!" added Heechul.

"You guys deal with this," said Dajeong as she walked out.

"Hey! Nam Gija! Nam…!" her associates yelled, to no avail. All they could do was watch Ruri sob and eat slice after slice of the cake that she had brought.

#

Across the street from a row of upscale shops, a man wearing sunglasses and a black suit watched Inho go into the Apollo Salon. He pressed a button and spoke into his watch.

"I have him in my sights."

"Good. Keep me updated, Security Officer Cha," said the voice on the other line.

Inside the trendy salon, Inho leaned forward and took a close look at himself in the mirror as he sat in a black styling chair. A middle-aged but perfectly groomed hairstylist approached him with scissors in hand.

"Mr. Kang Inho, I see that you are a new client. Welcome."

Inho nodded. "I've heard very good things about you, Lorenzo."

"You won't be disappointed, I promise. But… since you asked specifically for me to do your hair today, I'm assuming you have a special occasion?

"I was thinking of experimenting… just for this weekend."

"Fantastic! What did you have in mind?" asked the scheming hairstylist, who was now clearly delighted.

"Would you be able to transform unphotogenic me…"

"Wait, who said you were unphotogenic? Get rid of this hairstyle that does nothing for you, and you'll be a star!"

Incredulous, Inho laughed and shook his head. All his life, everyone had told him that hard work and intelligence were the way to go for success, and certainly not his looks.

"Really? If you can do that, I'll pay you double today!"

"500,000 Won? Of course! Tell me who you want to look like?"

Inho grinned and showed Lorenzo some pictures on his phone.

#

Across the street, Security Officer Cha glanced at the stylish young man coming out of the salon and didn't give him a second thought until Lorenzo came running out after him, holding a plastic bag.

"Kang Inho-ssi!" he cried as he held up the bag. "Your styling products!"

_Kang Inho?_ Officer Cha squinted at the young man who stopped and accepted the bag. He didn't look like Kang Inho at all.

"Remember, get some clothes that match your new hair color," said Lorenzo. "Oh, and if you get the girl, come back and be my hair model!"

_Could that really be Kang Inho?_

Officer Cha took off and followed him, watching his every move.

#

Dajeong looked in the mirror as she smoothed her knee-length champagne lace and tulle dress. She glanced at the designer watch that was clasped around her delicate wrist. It was five minutes until six o'clock.

"Gotta go, Nam Dajeong. You know how Kang Gwajang-nim scolds you when you are late."

She hurried to the front door and slipped into her shoes. Then she remembered her purse and hastened to grab it from the couch before she dashed out of her apartment. Once she got outside, she sighed with relief when she saw that she had 30 seconds to spare until six o'clock. There was no way Inho could find fault with her now.

"Happy birthday to me," she said rather proudly as she straightened up and waited for him.

A small silver luxury sedan pulled up to the curb not too far from her, and its driver cut the engine and glanced at her through his rear-view mirror. But she paid no attention to that car because she was looking for Inho's blue one.

She glanced at her watch again. It was now 6:03 and he still hadn't arrived yet.

"That's strange. He's always right on the dot…" she muttered as she tapped her foot.

The driver side door of the silver sedan opened and a man wearing shiny black shoes got out, but she still paid him no heed. After another moment, she grew impatient and complained under her breath.

"Where is he and why is he keeping me waiting?!"

Then she heard a familiar voice.

"Dajeong-ssi, are you ready to go?"

_Aha! Now I can get him for being late_, she thought. She grinned and looked in the direction of the voice that called to her, but her expression changed to one of bewilderment when instead of Inho, she saw a stylish young stranger with copper-tinged wavy brown hair standing by the car. Wearing the latest shiny gray designer suit and vest with a blue shirt and gold-patterned ascot, he looked like a wealthy and fashionable man, and she could feel her heart pound as she scanned him from head to toe.

The man laughed as if he was a little self-conscious, then he beckoned to her.

"Come on, Nam Dajeong-ssi. Dinner awaits."

She tried not to gawk at him as she composed herself.

"Nuguseyo?" she asked.

She could tell that her question caused him quite a bit of consternation.

"Ah…" he looked at her, incredulous that he would need to introduce himself. Did she really not recognize him? A flash of inspiration came to him and he cleared his throat.

"I'm the driver. Chief Kang asked me to take you to the restaurant," he said with a bow.

"Oh… where is he?"

"He's running late, but he will be there. Step in, please?" he said as he opened the front passenger door for her.

"Okay…" she cautiously stepped into the car.

When Inho got in the car, he expected her to recognize him at any moment, but she didn't, so he turned on the engine and tried to make some small talk, which turned out to be more awkward than he had imagined.

"Would you… like to hear some music?" he asked.

It almost pained him to see her look and react to him like he was a stranger, but she kept wondering why his voice sounded so familiar? And why did he look like one of those flower boys that she used to crush on?

"What was your name again?"

"Ah, Seo Jaehee," he blurted out.

"Nice to meet you," she said with a slight smile. "Did… Kang Inho-ssi hire you?"

He nodded. "Emm hmm, and he hopes you are hungry tonight."

She looked around the vehicle and admired its posh interior, until she glanced behind the driver's seat and saw something familiar.

_Isn't that Kang Gwajang-nim's briefcase? _She wondered.

Her suspicions aroused, she snuck another glance at the cute guy who was now humming as he drove. She forced herself to ignore his cuteness and curls just to study his profile, which seemed ever more familiar.

"Have we met before?" she asked.

"Well… not this way," he replied, as if he were hiding something, which only made her more anxious.

She watched as he hummed a familiar folk tune, then he quickly shifted gears and turned on his signal light in one fell swoop.

Suddenly she remembered that particular Saturday when she and Kang Gwajang-nim had driven together to the nursing home to see Appa and had their snowball fight afterwards. He had hummed the same tune and driven in the exact same manner.

"Kang Gwajang-nim!" she screamed.

Her sudden outburst startled him so much that he nearly lost control of the car, which fortunately was in tiptop shape. He pulled over to the side of the road and clutched the steering wheel as he tried to catch his breath.

"Dajeong-ssi, don't ever do that to me again, please!" he cried, wide-eyed. "You could have caused an accident!"

"Omo, what did you do to yourself?" asked Dajeong. Inho was nearly unrecognizable from the staid government officer that she had known. She gawked at the perfect colored highlights in his hair.

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you trying to look like a flower boy?"

His nose crinkled up at her suggestion.

"What? Don't be ridiculous…" he mocked before he changed his mind with a crooked smile. "You really think I look like a kkonminam?"

She folded her arms and looked at him suspiciously.

"Why did you tell me you were someone else?"

"It was a joke!"

"Really? Who is Seo Jaehee?"

"A childhood friend of mine… Don't be mad, Dajeong-ssi. I just wanted to make you laugh… And don't worry, after this weekend I'll be back to my normal self."

She wanted so much to pretend she was angry, but instead she found herself laughing hysterically at his clumsy explanations.

"Omo, I can't believe this…"

"I hope you are not laughing _at_ me."

But she burst out in more laughter as she tried not to look at him out of embarrassment.

Inho squirmed and tried to concentrate on driving as he was forced to listen to her snigger.

"Can I say something, Kang Gwajang-nim?" she said shyly.

"What?" he growled.

"You look so… cute," she said as she tried to stifle a giggle.

"You mean handsome."

"No, cute as a kkonminam. In fact, I think you look better than Seo Jaehee, whoever he is," she teased.

Instantly his cheeks turned crimson. He cleared his throat and stepped on the gas.

#

Heechul took his camera into the art museum to take pictures of Ruri and help her with her publicity campaign, but as soon as he set up his shot, he felt someone tapping his shoulder. He turned around and was shocked to see Choi Yinna standing there, smirking.

"Ah… excuse me!" he said before quickly turning around and walking the other way.

"Park Heechul!" she yelled out his name.

Heechul grimaced as he was forced to stop in his tracks. He waited for her to come around to him, which she did right away.

"Thank you for those pretty photos of me that you took at the gala. They looked really good."

Heechul gave her a tight-lipped nod.

"I hope your dress recovered from the accident?"

"Don't worry, I was able to get another one."

"Good… can I take some pictures of you now, if you have a moment?"

"Yes, take them now, and at all of the events where I will make my appearances," she replied.

"What…?"

"You heard me. From now on, I expect you to be at every event I attend. I will have my assistant send you my calendar."

"But…"

"And if you don't show up to take my picture, I'll sue you. Got that?"

Heechul stared at her in shock.

"Don't worry, you'll be compensated fairly."

"Okay… Wait, you can't do that!"

But Yinna struck a coquettish pose and blew him a kiss.

"What are you waiting for, Photographer-nim?"

"Uh… okay."

_Aish, why is this woman tormenting me! _Slowly, Heechul positioned his shot of Yinna and took it.

#

At the posh L'Anima Restaurant, Joonki and Yoonhee sat down at a table opposite each other.

"Yeobo, you're so nice to take me out on a date tonight…" said Yoonhee in her usual aegyo manner.

Joonki smiled at her and reached out to hold her hand.

"You deserve it, after taking care of our daughter for so many months."

"Omo, you are so thoughtful and considerate."

Two tables down and diagonally across from them, a waiter sat Dajeong and Inho at their table, with Dajeong facing Yoonhee's direction. As soon as the waiter left, Dajeong picked up her menu and hid behind it, giggling.

"Dajeong-ssi, would you please stop giggling?" asked Inho with his eyebrows raised.

Dajeong put down the menu and tried to keep her composure. But as she looked at Inho, she couldn't help but burst out in a loud guffaw that made Yoonhee notice her.

"Omo, I still can't believe I'm sitting across from you like this," laughed Dajeong, whose mouth was so wide that it hurt.

Inho took the brunt of her reaction and made the best of it.

"At least I made you laugh," he remarked with a satisfied smile. "It's been awhile since I've seen you smile, Dajeong-ssi."

Yoonhee pointed out Dajeong to her husband.

"Omo, isn't that Nam Dajeong? Who is she with that is making her laugh so much?"

Joonki turned around and saw a giggling mess of a girl, but he did not recognize Inho from the back, and he was quite determined to keep his wife settled.

"Yeobo," Joonki teased with a killer grin.

As he expected, that got her attention right away, and she couldn't resist.

"Yes?"

He reached and grabbed the rose that was underneath his chair and offered it to her. Her delight was immediate as she clapped her hands together.

"Yeobo, it's so beautiful!"

"Just like you, I might add," he replied playfully as she took the flower and held it to her heart.

Meanwhile, Dajeong continued laughing so hard that Inho began to feel anxious about his appearance. He nervously took several sips of water and patted down his hair a few times.

"Stop laughing, Dajeong-ssi, or I'm marching right out of here to get my hair changed back…"

But she reached across and grabbed his hand.

"No, you're not. Stay right there and let me tell you just how happy you've made me."

Her answer pleased him, so he stayed put.

"How happy is Dajeong-ssi?" he now asked in his low, sexy voice.

Grinning, she leaned forward.

"Very happy… but not because of your appearance, even though it's gorgeous."

_It's not my hair that makes her happy?_ "Then… what is it?"

She smiled to herself as she replied, "What makes me happy is..."

He waited as her expression grew more serious.

"It's your…" she stopped as her eyes grew red, and she gave his hand a big squeeze.

"Your care… and your friendship… for me. Thank you… for all of this," she said as her tears welled up.

As Inho watched her confess, he took out his handkerchief from his coat and offered it to her. She received it and dabbed at her tears.

"Kang Gwajang-nim…" she said between light sobs.

"Dajeong-ssi," he interrupted, "During private moments like these, I wish you would address me differently…"

"What would you like me to call you? Ajusshi? Oppa, perhaps?"

He shook his head.

"No, not that…."

"Then what? Do you have another name? A Spanish or English one?" she asked curiously.

"I'm Enrique Alejandro … Kang!" he proudly announced. "When I was younger, people called me Enrique, but now I think I like Alejandro better."

"Allehandeulo…" she let the name roll off her tongue.

"That works," he grinned. "What about you?"

"My church name was Maria, but in college my friends called me 디제이."

"Deejae-ee?"

"Like deejay, or disc jockey, because my English initials were D and J."

"Deejae-ee… I like that. I want us to talk as equals."

"You mean, you are willing to lower yourself to my age, just so we can be on a first-name basis?" asked a surprised Dajeong.

"Yes, pretend we're the same age and call me Inho."

"Then you should call me Dajeong."

"Dajeong, do you know why I did all of this?"

"Why, Inho-ssi?" asked Dajeong, who couldn't quite bring herself to call him by his name alone.

"I wanted to see you happy and smiling again, after all that we had gone through... after all your crying..."

Dajeong flashed him the biggest megawatt smile that he had ever seen.

"Then… I'd say that… you've succeeded."

The surprised look on his face gave way to a huge grin, which turned into a series of laughs. He gazed at her like a smitten fool until she turned away and giggled.

Meanwhile, a spy who had been watching Joonki and Yoonhee's table took several snapshots of the couple's lovey dovey moments. Then he panned his camera left and spotted Dajeong sitting at her table, laughing.

"Isn't that Scandal News reporter Nam Dajeong? I remember when she was the nation's news maker just a little over two years ago. Who is she with and what is she doing?" he muttered. "Hmm... I should let Chairman Na know about this."

He positioned his camera and took several snapshots of Dajeong and Inho before sending them to his employer.

#

Reporter Byun picked up his phone and looked at his text messages.

"What is this?" he muttered as he scrolled through the restaurant images of Dajeong and Inho together.

His eyes widened and he thought for a moment, then he dialed a number and waited.

"Yes, please tell the chairman that I have something he should take a look at. It's urgent."

He hung up, gathered his things, and hurried out.

#

Dajeong and Inho laughed as they approached her apartment door.

"Thank you, Kang Gwajang-nim, for celebrating my birthday with me tonight."

"It was my pleasure, Dajeong-ssi."

She smiled awkwardly at him before turning to the door.

"I should go in now."

"Yes, sleep well," he replied, even as he never took his eyes off her.

She nodded and unlocked her door. When she went inside, she waved at him. He waved back until she closed her door. Then he chuckled as he walked out of her building.

Outside, Security Officer Cha approached Inho and stopped him from getting to his car.

"Mr. Kang Inho?"

"Yes?" replied Inho, who was surprised to be recognized by a stranger.

"Chairman Choi is requesting your presence. Please come with me."

Inho glanced at the black limousine by the curb. The tinted back window rolled down to reveal Chairman Choi's smiling face behind it.

_What is he doing here…?_ Inho swallowed hard as he stared at the Chairman.

"Please, this way," motioned Officer Cha.

Inho followed him to the limo and got in.

"Chairman-nim," he said.

But when his eyes adjusted to the dim in-car lighting, he was shocked to see none other than Reporter Byun sitting across from him, smirking.

"Reporter Byun?!"

"Nice hair, Kang Gwajang," said Byun. "Did you do something special tonight?"

Furious, Inho glared at the Chairman.

"Chairman-nim, what is this all about? Why is he here?"

"Calm down, Inho-ssi. I have a lot to discuss with you," said Chairman Choi.

Inho looked at Byun again. This time, the reporter showed Inho a photo of his dinner with Dajeong from his phone. Inho's jaw dropped as he stared at it.

"Give me that!" he demanded as he took a swipe at Byun's phone, but Byun was too quick and dodged him.

"Ah, Kang Gwajang… I think you're gonna need my help," Byun said charmingly.

Dismayed, Inho could only stare wide-eyed at the other two men as his mind whirled.

_Dajeong… Candidate-nim… Ottoke?! _


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_To the sweet reader who wrote a review – I'm glad you like seeing Inho and Dajeong together. This story is for readers and fans like you!_

_As far as the timing of chapters goes, because I am a working mom with a baby, I try to post a chapter as quickly as I can, but you'll probably see a new chapter every 1-2 weeks or so. However, lately as my imagination has really gotten fired up, my chapters have been getting longer, so it might take me even longer to post a new one._

_I've realized that the way this story is going, I could put endless twists and turns in it to make it equivalent to a 100 episode drama, but I don't have the time to do that – and this story is already almost at 50,000 words – the size of a small novel! I had planned on including so much more in this chapter, but it was getting too long, so I'll have to post the rest in the next chapter._

_But I am having so much fun writing this story, and thank you all for coming on this ride with me. It's by no means perfect, but I am being entertained, and I hope you are too. _

* * *

Dajeong stopped to catch her breath as Appa waited impatiently for the rest of her story.

"Aigoo, Dajeong-ee, you've got me all worked up now. What happened to Kang Son-in-law?"

Dajeong cleared her throat and pretended to be nonchalant.

"Nothing. He worked out a deal with Reporter Byun and the pictures were never published."

"And then?" asked Appa, who was disappointed but still eager for more details.

"And then… that was our first in a string of lovely dates before I decided I liked Kang Gwajang-nim enough to marry him. The end."

Before Dajeong could say another word, Appa looked up at heaven and yelled, "Is she telling the truth?"

"Appa!" exclaimed Dajeong, who was now embarrassed.

He shook his head and pointed his finger at her.

"Aigoo… tsk, tsk, you didn't tell me the whole story, Dajeong-ee."

"Well, I told you the official story that most people hear nowadays..." her voice trailed off as she continued. "I usually don't mention that last part about Reporter Byun…"

"Why not? It was so dramatic that I had goose bumps!"

"Because what really happened was crazy. When I try to share the _truth_, most people think I'm making it up because I'm a writer. Even you might have trouble believing me."

"If there's one thing I know about my Dajeong-ee, it's that she's honest. She wouldn't lie to her abeoji…" he paused. "Except when you lied about your marriage to Kwon Yul…"

He sighed. "But that was my fault for pressuring you."

"If I tell you what happened, you must believe me, Appa! You see, a person's life can change in a day, and sometimes when we get lucky, our luck comes in all at once!"

Appa's eyes gleamed as he rubbed his hands together. "Now you really have to tell me what happened!"

"Kang Gwajang-nim and I… we started out as two simple people who went out to celebrate my birthday. However, by the time we attended Kwon Yul's speech at Seoul University three days later, we weren't the same anymore. Everything had changed."

"What do you mean?" asked Appa as he scratched his head. "How could you not be the same people you had been before?"

"I'll start with what happened at the university."

#

At the front of a room in Seoul University's Main Conference Hall, Yul and Hyejoo sat at a long table, taking questions from the audience and the press. Sitting at another table near the room's entrance were Dalpyo and Heechul, along with Dajeong, who was taking notes. She wore a slate gray ruffled blouse, black pencil skirt, and black leather heels on her feet, which she tapped impatiently on the floor with a soft _thump, thump, thump_.

"Any other questions for Presidential Candidate Kwon Yul or Assemblywoman Seo before they give us their joint speech on current women's issues?" asked Professor Im, the host of the event.

"If there are none, then we will proceed with…"

Suddenly, Reporter Byun jumped up from the Han Media News table and raised his hand.

"Candidate Kwon Yul!"

"Yes, Reporter Byun?" replied Yul.

"Since we are talking about women's issues, would you care to comment on what you think about women and remarriage?"

Yul and Hyejoo glanced at each other.

"I believe all citizens can pursue their happiness, as long as it does not infringe on another's person's rights," said Yul.

"Good!" shouted Byun as he held up a tabloid magazine with an enlarged photo of Dajeong and Inho on the cover. "Then you won't mind the fact that your former wife, Nam Dajeong, is dating again?"

Stunned, Yul and Hyejoo stared at the magazine cover. There was Dajeong, plain and clear, laughing with some young man who looked even more dashing than Yul. The audience gasped and murmured, and some turned to stare at Dajeong. At the back of the room, where Joonki sat with Yoonhee and her friends, he raised his head and looked on, very concerned.

Indignant, Dajeong glared at Byun.

"Reporter Byun!" she said sharply. But he ignored her.

"Answer my question, Candidate Kwon!"

"Ah… Reporter Byun, please keep to relevant topics…" started Professor Im.

"This is a relevant question!" insisted Byun. "Kwon Yul, how do you feel about her dating again?"

"Ah… congratulations…?" Yul replied, taken aback.

"Reporter Byun! What does this have to do with our speech?!" demanded Hyejoo.

"Because I thought it was Kwon Yul who said two years ago, and I quote, 'I'm never going to let this woman go.' What happened to that promise? Or has it been broken, just like the rest of the promises he made during his tenure as prime minister?" snarled Byun.

More gasps followed, and Joonki's mouth dropped. Yul did not answer, but the pained expression on his face said it all.

"Ah, Reporter Byun. There you go again, stirring up trouble wherever you are," said an amused young man with a smooth voice who had just entered the room. "Why do you waste Candidate-nim's time and mine with such inane questions? I had to interrupt my vacation just to come out here and set you straight!"

Heads turned and mouths dropped as Inho walked in, sporting his wavy auburn hair. Wearing a white button down shirt and navy waistcoat and pants, a slate gray necktie and rolled up sleeves finished his business casual look.

Byun snickered as he looked over Inho.

"Well, if it isn't the flower boy himself… Kang Inho, Kwon Yul's Chief of Staff," he announced.

The audience murmured louder. Yul raised an eyebrow at Inho's appearance, but Hyejoo could hardly believe her eyes.

"How nice of you to identify me, Reporter Byun, because most people hardly recognize me anymore," replied Inho as he leaned against the podium and struck a modeling pose that sent women's tongues wagging. As he flashed the noonas in the audience his killer smile, they reacted with gasps and titters.

"But why are you asking Candidate Kwon Yul about this? You know very well that his marriage to Nam Dajeong was annulled because his first wife was discovered to have been alive and in hiding. A man can't have two wives at the same time, can he?" continued Inho without skipping a beat.

Byun laughed. "Then why don't you tell us about _your_ relationship with Nam Dajeong? What's it like, dating the former wife of a politician? Isn't that similar to… using recycled goods?"

Dajeong and Hyejoo's jaws dropped at the same time as the rest of the audience. Meanwhile, Inho gave Byun a disgusted stare.

"Wow, is it now wrong to take your friend out for a simple birthday meal? That's all I was trying to do. By the way," Inho turned to Yul and Hyejoo and said in a low voice, "I'm really sorry that this is taking up more of your time than necessary."

"Just answer my question. Are you dating her?" demanded Byun.

"I told you, I took ajumma… I mean, samonim out on her birthday to make her laugh. So? Besides, what should a woman in her situation do? She already lost her last parent, her abeoji, and then her husband. Should she stay alone and be miserable for the rest of her life?"

Several young women in the audience clapped and nodded their approval at his reply. But Dajeong frowned and muttered her displeasure within ear shot of her colleagues.

"Did he just call me an ajumma?"

"Are you in a romantic relationship with her!" Byun pressed the question to Inho.

Inho chuckled in response.

"Romantic? Well, let's see…"

He yelled across the room at Dajeong.

"Yeobo! How would you describe our relationship?" he asked cheerily, with as much aegyo as possible.

Instantly Dajeong's temper flared and she glared disdainfully at him.

"Yah! Who are you calling 'yeobo'?! And why did you just call me 'ajumma'?"

Inho winced and leaned towards Byun, speaking to him as if sharing a secret.

"I don't think she likes me all that much," he said.

He turned back to Dajeong and put on the best flower boy pout that he could muster.

"Ajumma, don't be mad at me, please?"

As Hyejoo observed their interaction, her eyes narrowed when she noticed an odd thing about the way they were dressed.

_Why does the color of his tie seem to match the color of her blouse? It's the exact same shade of gray…_ _A coincidence?_

"Aha! So you do like her!" exclaimed Byun.

"Of course! Otherwise, I wouldn't be Ajumma's friend, would I?" was the zany reply.

Dajeong stood up and yelled at Inho.

"Ajusshi, stop calling me ajumma!"

Hyejoo leaned over and whispered to Yul, "Why is he acting like that?"

Yul shrugged. "Political theater, perhaps? Actually, this is amusing me."

"Sorry…" replied Inho to Dajeong. "I should have called you 'noona'."

Once again, summoning all of his aegyo, he turned to the audience and grinned like a cute puppy.

"And all of you beautiful sunbaes and hoobaes out there should support Candidate Kwon Yul, because he's going to tell you how much he champions issues that are important to the women of our great country! More jobs, more opportunity, and better pay! "

Yul's eyes widened as the audience cheered and clapped. Reporter Byun sneered at Inho's chatter and went back to his seat, waving his dismissal.

Inho grinned as he motioned to Yul.

"Your stage, Candidate-nim?"

"Kang Gwajang!" interrupted a member of the audience, a stylish middle-aged samonim.

Inho turned around. With raised eyebrows, he smiled at her.

"Noona?"

"Will you be accompanying Candidate Kwon at all of his campaign stops and events?"

"Ah… yeah," Inho replied cautiously as he tried to get used to the idea of being fawned on by women.

"Oh, good," teased the samonim as she flirted with him. "I'll be sure to come out and support Candidate Kwon more often, then."

She blew him an air kiss, even as Dajeong glowered at her.

"See you there, pretty boy."

"Ah… Thank you, everyone!" Inho waved with an incredulous half-smile before bowing. "I'll be going now. Bye bye!"

A collective "awww…." went through the room as several ladies waved at him.

"I'll brief you tomorrow, Candidate-nim," Inho said softly to Yul before he headed to the door.

Hyejoo noticed the serious two-second glance Inho gave Dajeong before he left.

_Now that's more like the Kang Gwajang that I know… what is he up to now? _She wondered as she watched him leave.

Outside the conference hall, Inho checked his text messages.

"Success. Great job by you both. I just texted him my compliments," wrote Tender Dajeong, her name on his phone. "But you better never call me 'ajumma' again!"

Inho gave a satisfied grin and locked his phone.

"Yes, my Dajeong," he murmured as he walked to his usual blue car. Four bodyguards who were waiting beside it bowed to him before he got in and drove off.

Two of the guards entered their own vehicle and followed Inho. The other two took their places outside the conference hall entrance and waited.

#

"Aigoo, Kang son-in-law did seem different… and why all the guards?" asked Appa, who squinted the way he always did when he was trying to solve a problem.

Dajeong smiled. "I told you, everything changed for us in three days. To explain this, I must go back in time…"

"All right, but please, no more confusing your abeoji! Just tell it to me straight!"

"Arussuh. After my birthday dinner, Kang Gwajang-nim had a very long night…"

#

Back in Chairman Choi's limo, Inho sat, mortified at seeing the photos of him and Dajeong that were taken by Chairman Na's spy.

"How did you get these?" he asked Byun, as he shook with anger.

"Courtesy of Chairman Na's spy network. Lately, he has stepped up his surveillance of the people around him, including his son-in-law, as you can see."

Inho glowered at Reporter Byun.

"So you are part of Chairman Na's spy network? How dare you…!"

He grabbed Byun by the collar.

"You lowlife! First you worked for Minister Park, and now for Chairman Na?"

"Chairman-nim… explain… I'm not a bad guy…" grunted Byun as he tried to defend himself against Inho's tightening grip around his neck.

"Kang Gwajang!" said Chairman Choi sharply enough to get Inho's attention. "Reporter Byun works for me."

Puzzled, Inho let go of Byun.

"For you?" he asked, as if he had just been betrayed.

Byun adjusted his collar and shook himself loose.

"Actually, I work for both."

Inho glared at him.

"What do you mean… for both?"

"Chairman Na thinks Reporter Byun is his man, but I pay him more to keep him as my man," said Chairman Choi.

Inho gave him a skeptical laugh.

"How can you believe him?"

"Yah, Kang Inho, believe it or not, I am dedicated to pursuing the truth," replied Byun, a little piqued.

Inho shut his mouth when he remembered all of the times when Byun had nearly discovered Kwon Yul's contract marriage. This investigative reporter was good.

"Why are they after me? Or is it Nam Dajeong-ssi that he's after?" he asked quietly.

"Maybe you. But I think Na's spy was tagging Park Joonki, when he came across Nam Dajeong and took advantage of his discovery."

"Chairman Na doesn't trust Minister Park?" asked Inho.

"Not anymore. He suspects that Minister Park sides with Kwon Yul."

"What do you think Chairman Na will do with these pictures?" asked Chairman Choi.

"He'll probably publish them at the right time."

A chill went through Inho as he heard the words, "at the right time."

Byun glanced at his phone. The text on his screen said, "Find out who this flower boy is!"

"It looks like Chairman Na is definitely going to use the photos. This may not directly hurt Kwon Yul, but it can still damage his image and credibility by raising questions about both his and your relationship with Nam Dajeong…"

"What should we do?" asked the Chairman. "I can get all the media outlets associated with the CK Group to cease and desist from publishing these photos, but if the other side releases them… I can't stop every media source or online blogger..."

"Then we need to have a successful counter strategy, if I may offer my advice," said Byun.

"Pfft, what ideas could you possibly offer?" asked Inho skeptically.

But Byun ignored Inho and continued with his counsel.

"It depends on Kang Gwajang's acting skills, really. If Chairman Na publishes these photos before Kwon Yul's speech next Tuesday at Seoul University, then Kang Gwajang will have to be ready to defend himself. Most likely no one will recognize him, but…"

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed Inho. "Even Nam Dajeong-ssi had a hard time recognizing me. How did you manage to do it?"

"You were not that well disguised if Chairman-nim was able to recognize you!" retorted Byun.

Inho stared at Chairman Choi, who coughed.

"I'm good with faces," he said.

Inho didn't look convinced, so Reporter Byun was careful to add, "I'm sure you will keep this confidential, Kang Gwajang, but…" he glanced at Chairman Choi, who nodded. "Chairman-nim is keenly interested in doing anything he can to help Candidate Kwon with his run. That's why he hired me to help him monitor any possible… challenges."

"Arussuh. Thank you, Reporter Byun," said Inho reluctantly.

Byun grinned. "I'm not as bad as you think, Kang Gwajang. Now, we can deal with this situation in a few different ways. The first option is for you and Nam Dajeong to deny everything. She can tell people it is none of their business, and you can go back to your old hairstyle and no one will recognize you. Easy, don't you think?"

"I suppose."

"But the public is nosy, so that might backfire, especially if the other side uses your silence and denial to make up outrageous stories about her, your relationship, or something about Kwon Yul."

"True. Then…"

"You say you were celebrating the birthday of a friend. Is she really just a friend?" asked the Chairman.

"Yes… even though…" began Inho.

"Is she the woman you said you would protect all of your life?"

Inho nodded.

"That's correct, Chairman-nim."

"Then I suggest that you come out with Nam Dajeong and tell everyone the truth," said Byun.

"What?!" exclaimed Inho.

"Seriously, you did nothing wrong. And if anyone wants more of an explanation, you can always make it simple for them. If you tell the truth, there will be nothing to invent or cover up, and your sincerity will come out in the way you say it."

"But… someone skeptical like you wouldn't buy it for a second!"

"Ah, Kang Gwajang, this is where you need to use your aegyo charm on your audience."

Byun gave Inho a cutesy grin.

"Like a flower boy. It should be well received by the Women's Association, no?"

"That's… crazy! I… I have no aegyo…" sputtered Inho. "And I'm not… a… pretty boy…"

"It might be the best way to protect everyone."

Chairman Choi nodded.

"Emm, I like that. Let's go with Operation Flower Boy, and adjust it depending on how the other side portrays this. Do you agree, Kang Gwajang?"

Inho was flabbergasted by this turn of events. Usually it was he who helped Kwon Yul strategize responses to the opposition. Now it felt strange to be on the other side, listening as others discussed how to best position him.

"I never thought this would happen to me…" he muttered.

"Think of Nam Dajeong's well-being," said Byun. "I'll be in touch, and I can help you at Kwon Yul's event next Tuesday if needed."

Inho could only stare at him as he contemplated what all of this could mean.

"Good. Can I drop you off anywhere, Reporter Byun?" asked the Chairman.

"I don't live too far from here," said Byun with a polite smile. "I can take a taxi or a bus."

"Then… thank you for your work tonight," said Chairman Choi graciously.

Byun opened the door, raised his hand, and made the "v" sign.

"You're welcome. I'll be in touch. Annyeonghi gyeseyo."

He got out and shut the door as Chairman Choi waved.

"I should go home too," announced Inho, who was now exhausted from everything he had heard.

Chairman Choi depressed a button which opened the front partition window separating them from their driver.

"Yes, Chairman-nim?" asked the driver.

"Let's stop by Mr. Kang Inho's building, and then we will go home."

"Yes, Chairman-nim. Are we dropping off our guest?"

Chairman Choi turned to Inho with a tight smile.

"No, he is coming with us."

Inho started at the Chairman's reply.

"Chairman-nim…" he began.

"Kang Gwajang, now that trouble has found you, you are going to need my help."

"Chairman-nim, it sounds like you've been keeping tabs on me. May I ask why?"

"Because you are an important person, Inho-ssi."

"Important? How?"

"I'll explain everything I know. First, let's stop by your place, because this might be a very long talk through the night, and you may need to stay over at my house."

"That will be quite all right, Chairman-nim. I would rather get my car and go home afterwards, no matter how late it may be."

"Very well, then. Driver, go straight home. My guest and I will be talking now."

"Yes, Chairman-nim," said the driver as the partition closed on him again.

Inho waited a moment before asking the central question that now occupied his mind.

"Choi Chairman-nim, what do you want from me?"

The Chairman gave him a long, hard stare, and said, "Accept my job offer and the signing bonus that comes with it."

"What kind of job?"

"Are you good with money?"

"I have been a diligent saver since childhood, because of the early deaths of my parents."

"Good, then I want you to manage a trust fund."

"Trust… fund?"

"_Your_ trust fund," he said to an astonished Inho.

#

Sitting in his ornate study, Chairman Na picked up his phone and listened to his new voice messages.

"Chairman, I've just received word from our guy at Chairman Choi's about that mysterious Angel Shield Trust Fund that we heard about two years ago. It seems that the trust belongs to Chairman Choi's father, and is worth only about U.S. $5 million. It was originally designated for a future great grandchild."

Chairman Na hung up and grinned.

#

At the Choi house in Pyeongchang-dong, Grandpa Choi looked out of his bedroom window at the spacious yard illuminated by glowing walkway lights that led to a small Italian gazebo at the center of a lovely garden. An ajumma came in and put a fresh glass of water on his night stand.

"Have they arrived yet?" asked Grandpa anxiously.

"He is five minutes away," she replied. "But Chairman-nim says you should rest."

The old man shook his head.

"Not tonight," he said. "Tonight is too important for me to go to bed."

The ajumma gave him a tentative glance and went out. As soon as his room became quiet again, Grandpa Choi thought of his childhood friend, Hyunchul.

Hyunchul had always shared everything with Duseon, be it food or clothing, toys or books. In fact, it was during the dead of winter one night in 1945, when Duseon was still hungry after eating his paltry dinner, that Hyunchul came running to his door with something very expensive and precious.

"Duseon! Duseon!" cried Hyunchul outside the front door.

Duseon's omma opened the door and scolded the boy.

"Kang Hyunchul! What are you doing here at this hour? And in this cold?!"

"Please, Ajumma. I have something hot to give Duseon!"

The words "something hot" got her attention. Whenever Hyunchul said that, it usually meant he had food to share. She quickly let him in.

"Come in! Hurry or you'll catch a cold!"

She called for her son.

"Duseon! Your friend is here with something hot for you!"

Duseon came out of hiding with a grin on his face.

"What did you bring, Hyung?" he asked eagerly.

Hyunchul took something out from under his coat and unwrapped it. When he showed it to them, Duseon and his mother gasped.

"Rice? You were able to get white rice?" they exclaimed as they stared at the quarter-full bowl.

"Today, Father helped a kind Japanese businessman who gave him a little bit. There's not much here, probably only enough to feed Duseon and I two mouthfuls each, but I'd like to share it if you permit, Ajumma."

Duseon's mother nodded as she got them chopsticks.

"Eat slowly," she exhorted them.

The two boys sat down on the floor and shared a tasty morsel of hot, steamed rice as Duseon's hungry sisters watched nearby.

"Go to bed, girls! The rice is only for your oppa!" their omma yelled at them.

Hyunchul and Duseon glanced at the girls, and then at their bowl, which only had two spoonfuls of the white grain left. Duseon smiled.

"Omma, I'm going to share this last bite."

Hyunchul put down his chopsticks.

"Then I'll share mine as well, since you have two yeodongsaengs."

The boys beckoned to the girls.

"Come and finish this for us," they urged.

Shyly, the sisters went and let their oppas feed them like little birds.

"Oh, my sisters…" sighed Grandpa Choi. "If it weren't for people like Hyunchul, you might have starved to death…"

Grandpa's bedroom door opened and the ajumma popped her head in.

"They are here, Chairman-nim."

Grandpa Choi nodded and got up. Slowly, he made his way to the bedroom door.

#

Sitting on a couch in Chairman Choi's home office, a slack jawed Inho noticed that it was two a.m. before he finally said something. A few photos of young Kang Hyunchul and Choi Duseon were spread out on the coffee table before him. With shaky hands, Inho received the round metal object from Grandpa Choi.

"You mean my harabeoji made this?"

"He made it when we were ten years old."

Inho examined the object carefully. As he fingered its small dent, a flood of emotions welled up within him.

"I never knew my grandfather. He died right after I was born," he said sadly.

"Aigoo, then he died much too early," said the Chairman with a sigh.

"Do you know what I call this thing, which was just a toy at first, but later became my precious lifesaver?" asked Grandpa Choi.

Inho shook his head.

"Angel Shield. Your grandfather was like an angel to me, so I called it my angel shield."

"It really saved your life?" asked Inho.

Grandpa Choi nodded.

"It did. Please believe me."

#

World War II was drawing to an end, but Duseon and Hyunchul still saw and heard weaponry, aircraft, and military vehicles passing through their once venerable city on a daily basis.

One spring day, Hyunchul came to Duseon with something hidden in a sack.

"Duseon, I have something to give you," he said.

"What is it?" asked Duseon curiously as Hyunchul led him behind a tree.

After seeing that there was no one around to disturb them, Hyunchul took out the object that he had crafted from a piece of scrap metal left behind by soldiers. He presented it to his friend.

"I want you to have this."

Duseon took the shield and looked at its front and back.

"What is it?"

"It's a secret shield that you wear under your shirt, in case bullets come flying at you. I made myself one, too. See?"

He lifted his shirt and showed Duseon his breastplate. Duseon's face lit up with a giant grin.

"Excellent!" he said as he stuffed his shield under his shirt. "Ooh! It fits over my chest perfectly!"

"Great! Let's play!" shouted Hyunchul as he started running.

"All right, Hyung!" cried Duseon.

For the next week, Duseon got scolded by his mother for wearing the shield, but he didn't care.

"Hyung says it will protect me," he said in Hyunchul's defense.

"It's just a piece of scrap metal! How can it do that?" scoffed Omma.

"Please let me wear it?" pleaded Duseon. "Hyunchul says someday he'll make a better one to protect me from head to toe."

"Well… since it was from Kang Hyunchul… all right," said Omma, who had developed a soft spot for that boy over the years.

It was fortunate that she did allow her son to keep it, because the next night, when she asked Duseon to go out and fetch water from the well, little did she know that his life would change forever.

#

The more Inho listened to Grandpa Choi, the more he felt like he knew his harabeoji better.

"It was a cool night, and I was walking mostly by moonlight down the road from my house. I had no problem fetching water from the well. As I walked back, I heard something whizz by me, and suddenly I couldn't hold the heavy water bucket anymore. It fell out of my hands with a big clatter to the ground, and water splashed everywhere."

"I don't know how long I stood there. All I know is that I couldn't lift my left arm. Omma ran out of the house to scold me for being so long in coming, but when she spotted me, she screamed. I looked down at where she was pointing and saw that my left arm was bleeding profusely."

"Everything that happened next was a blur. I heard someone tell Omma that I would have died if that breastplate hadn't blocked a stray bullet that had flown in my direction. Another bullet had hit my arm. All I know is that later, after I had recovered, I fought like a mad man to keep this thing, because people couldn't believe that a child could make something like this."

Grandpa rolled up his left sleeve and showed Inho a faded scar.

"See this? I promised your grandfather that if I or any of my descendants ever became rich, I would repay him for his kindnesses and for saving my life. Hyunchul wouldn't hear of it, of course. But when my son and I started CK Enterprises, as it was called back then, I always put aside a bit of our profits… a certain amount for each day that I was alive after being saved by this Angel Shield. It's all in the Angel Shield Trust Fund."

Grandpa Choi beamed at Inho. "And now I'm glad I found you, so you can have it."

Inho put down the dented shield on the end table and took a sip of strong coffee from his cup.

"I'm… I'm not sure that I can accept this money, either."

"As I said before," said Chairman Choi as he eyed Grandpa. "All I ask in return for helping you with your current… situation is to accept my job offer."

"But what if…" began Inho as he struggled to find an excuse to refuse their graciousness. "What if I become corrupt because I cannot handle it, and bring dishonor to both of our families? How do you even know that you can trust me?"

The two older men chuckled as they studied Inho.

"Well, do you trust us?" asked the Chairman.

"Ah…" Inho hadn't thought of that. "I have no reason not to trust you, I suppose."

"It's because you ask these types of questions that I know I can trust you," said the Chairman. "Besides, you are worrying too much about things in the future. Focus on one day at a time."

"I look forward to getting to know you better, young man. But somehow, I feel as if I know you already," said Grandpa with a smile.

"You could use that money towards your hyung's healthcare. After all, half of it technically belongs to him. And what about Nam Dajeong? You need to protect her, but you can't do it with just the usual methods," Chairman Choi persuaded him.

Inho thought of Dajeong and her safety, and had to concede that by his own means, he couldn't do that much for her, but with the Chairman's considerable resources, he could protect her 24/7.

"I've heard about your woman. She must be quite remarkable. Have you asked her to marry you yet?" asked Grandpa.

"Not yet."

"You should," said Chairman Choi. "I got an earful from Yinna the other day about your lack of interest. Now she's in Bali with some friends, trying to get over you and that photographer."

"Park Heechul?" asked Inho, surprised.

"Haha, is that his name? I am sorry to have forgotten it."

"Chairman-nim, Honorary Chairman-nim," said Inho. "Right now, I will advise you that if I accept this trust money, then it will be spent taking care of my hyung and protecting the woman that I love."

The Chairman and his father exchanged grins.

"That's ajusshi and harabeoji," said Grandpa Choi. "And I think family and love are good things to spend money on. Don't you, Son?"

"Agreed."

Inho stood up and bowed.

"Thank you… Ajusshi and Harabeoji," he said.

Pleased, Grandpa Choi approached Inho and patted the young man's shoulder.

"When your grandfather grew up, he became a handsome man, just like you are now."

He picked up an old photo of Kang Hyunchul from the coffee table and gave it to Inho. As Inho stared at his grandfather's black and white likeness, he tried to keep his tears at bay.

#

Dajeong awoke around 11 o'clock in the morning with a smile on her face. She had just been out on a date with a dreamy looking Kang Gwajang-nim, who had bent over to smooch her, when the dream ended.

"Aww… He was about to kiss me!" she lamented.

Suddenly, she stopped and thought of what she had just said. Slowly her eyes grew wider as she looked around her room. She slapped her right cheek hard.

"What am I saying? Kang Gwajang-nim kissing me?!"

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to shake herself out of it.

"Surely you don't expect him to do that, do you?!"

She touched her lips.

"Would he?" she wondered.

Lazily, she stumbled out of bed and stretched.

"Ha! Dream on, Nam Dajeong. Get those silly thoughts out of your head!"

She went into her kitchen and turned on the coffee machine before noticing her phone on the counter. As she hummed a cheerful tune, she checked her messages.

"URGENT – Photos Enclosed" was the top line of one text.

Dajeong knitted her eyebrows together.

"What is this? Why is Reporter Byun texting me?"

She gasped when she saw the photos of her birthday dinner with Inho.

"Ottoke? I must let Kang Gwajang-nim know at once!"

She called Inho and waited.

"Kang Gwajang-nim! I need to talk to you in person right away! Did you know that…?"

Inho's voice on the other end seemed tired but unusually calm to her.

"I know already. Meet me in an hour and I'll come get you... Wear a nice dress, please."

"A nice dress again?" Dajeong wondered aloud as she walked back to her bedroom.

"Like something you wear to church or to the opera," he replied.

_Yah! Kang Gwajang-nim, how many nice dresses do you think I have?_ She thought of retorting.

But instead, she replied sweetly, "a light-colored one, perhaps?"

"That's right. See you soon, Dajeong-ssi," said Inho before he hung up.

Dajeong stared at her phone. Her intuition tingling, she turned towards her bedroom closet.

#

When Dajeong walked out of her apartment building, she spotted the same silver sedan from last night parked at the curb. Inside, Inho turned and gawked at her for so long that she started to feel self-conscious and she examined herself to make sure nothing was amiss.

If only she could have seen herself through his eyes! He was completely enchanted by a tall, slender girl carrying a clutch, who was dressed in a knee-length, sleeveless fitted ivory lace dress that had a scalloped neck line, with her waist encircled by a violet sash. As a breeze blew her long, straight red hair across her face, he thought he had never seen her look so stunning in his life.

She quickly got into the car and noticed that he wore his black suit with his vest and tie. It looked good with his auburn hair, and she told him so. He in turn complimented her on her dress.

"It's the only other really nice dress I have," she said. "Can you believe that the last time I wore this was almost ten years ago, at a college friend's wedding?"

"I thought you had bought some dresses when you were at the Official Residence?" he asked.

"Ah, those… I haven't worn them since, because they never quite felt like 'me'. I've donated some of them to charity already," she noted proudly. "Anyway, this was the last extravagant dress that I had bought with my own money from my writing."

"It's very beautiful… and I'm glad you wore it today."

As he took off, several meters behind them, another silver car followed. Inho and Dajeong drove in silence for awhile, as she noticed how tired he looked.

"Kang Gwajang-nim, you haven't returned this car yet?"

"I'm test driving it to see if I want to keep it. It has some nice features," he replied.

"Oh?" she thought it was a bit high-priced for him, but maybe if he bought it used...

"As you know, someone took pictures of us at the restaurant," he said.

"Reporter Byun sent them to me. What do we do? They won't use those pictures to cause problems for Candidate-nim, will they?"

She waited, but he didn't answer right away. Instead, he pulled over on to a small side street, and before long they were parked by a quiet, grassy area on the banks of the Han River. Inho depressed a button near the car dashboard, and instantly all of the clear passenger windows became tinted black.

"Daebak!" exclaimed Dajeong. "You were right about the nice features on this car!"

Inho pressed another button, and the windshield became darker as well, though not as dark as the rest of the windows.

Delighted, she asked him if he was really going to buy this car?

"If Dajeong-ssi likes it."

"Haha, Kang Gwajang-nim, you're such a jokester when you're around me," she said as she reached out to slap his arm.

To her surprise, he caught her hand and wouldn't let it go. As soon as she saw the grave look on his face, her laughter died down.

"What is it?" she asked.

He swallowed hard as he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart.

"Does Dajeong-ssi know… just how difficult it is for me to remain only a… friend?" he asked, with his voice trembling.

"Kang Gwajang-nim…"

"I can't take it anymore, when I love you so much that I would do anything for you," he declared. "If reporters start asking me who I am to you, I will tell them the truth, that I… I…"

"Inho ah," she interrupted him gently.

She hadn't called him by his first name like that before, so he waited for her to continue.

"I… like you," she declared as she looked down.

He blinked several times.

"Did you just say…?"

When she looked up at him, her flushed cheeks and lips and her smiling eyes told him what he needed to know.

"I like you," she repeated, with an innocent smile.

He let that sink in for a moment.

"Geuleom…" he declared as he straightened his back. "Marry me."

She stared at him, dumbfounded.

"When I told Chairman Choi I couldn't marry his daughter, he asked me why I didn't marry you instead."

He cleared his throat as he gazed out at the river.

"Dajeong-ssi should marry me, because number one, I love Dajeong-ssi, and she likes me. Number two, I will spend the rest of my life using all I have to protect her as her guardian angel. Number three, I now have the means to take care of her comfortably for the rest of her life."

_For the rest of my life?_ She thought. "What are you…?"

But he continued without allowing her to get another word in edgewise.

"Number four. I will wear whatever hairstyle and clothes you want. Number five. I will allow Dajeong-ssi to wear jeans and whatever casual clothes she wants to wear, as long as she puts on a nice dress for me at night and on special occasions."

At this, Dajeong scrunched her nose and frowned. _What on earth is he talking about, allowing me to wear jeans?_

"The number six reason why Dajeong-ssi should marry me... I am going to be 35 years old soon, and I want a wife and a family, so you won't have to wait for me to commit. And number seven…" he said as he gave her a sideways glance, "I'll buy her this cool car if she marries me."

"Uwa! Kang Gwajang-nim, do you think you can get me to marry you so quickly? I'd have to consider it..."

"Emm, the quicker you decide, the better. There are other young ladies waiting in line who would marry me in an instant. But I'm giving you the first chance."

"What?! You talk as if you are some hot bachelor!" she half-mocked him.

"After our photos get published in the news, I'm sure I'll have a throng of female fans who would love to get a proposal from me," he smirked.

She turned her head toward him to protest, but when she suddenly found her lips dangerously close to his, she froze. Amused by her reaction, he laughed.

"Dajeong-ssi, we could just marry and remain friends like this for the rest of our lives… what do you think? No pressure."

"But… then the romance would be missing!" she objected.

"Geuleom, I will take you out on fun dates and give you flowers every week. Will that do?"

"Jinjjayo? Would you stay that way? Or would you change after the wedding?" she asked skeptically.

"I promise I will always remain your suhoui cheonsa," he replied earnestly. "Just help me so I don't turn into a dark angel again, please? Dajeong who is my adviser?"

She pretended to think about it before replying with, "Hmmm… Of course I will help you, Inho Cheonsa."

Satisfied, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"I'd like to introduce you to some people. Will you come meet them with me?"

She nodded and looked down at her fingers, which were now entwined with his.

#

Dalpyo was surprised to see Heechul when he walked into the Scandal News office on a Sunday afternoon. His photographer looked a little gloomy as he sat, slumped over his desk.

"Heechul! What are you doing here?" asked Dalpyo. "Aren't you supposed to be chasing around a socialite?"

"She went on a trip," said Heechul glumly.

"Isn't that a good thing? I thought she was tying up so much of your time that you had none left to yourself!"

Heechul sighed.

"That's true, but now I'm bored."

Dalpyo laughed.

"Bored? Yah! Are you falling for her?"

Heechul stared at his boss through his half-open eyes.

"Pssh! Are you kidding?"

"But she's fun to be around, isn't she?"

When Heechul said nothing, Dalpyo kept teasing his employee.

"Oooh… Heechul misses his friend…"

"Stop it, Editor-nim!"

"Heechul's a sick puppy!"

"Aargh!" Heechul howled before he jumped out of his chair, grabbed his camera and left.

Dalpyo shook his head as he watched his photographer leave.

"Come back to work on time tomorrow! You got that?"

Heechul waved as he kept walking.

"How rude," said Dalpyo as he sniffed.

He looked down at the large photo of Yinna on his newspaper cover and grinned.

#

Dajeong was amazed to be walking with none other than Chairman Choi himself in his gorgeous backyard that overlooked the Bugak Mountains. Inside the Chairman's house, Inho and Grandpa Choi watched them anxiously from a sun room window.

"Harabeoji, what do you think he's talking to her about?"

"Aigoo, I can only guess," said Grandpa as he feigned ignorance. "But he's probably checking to make sure she's a good match for you."

Inho laughed and shook his head.

"That's so old-fashioned… I don't care if she's the devil's daughter. I'll marry her or die trying."

"Will you listen to yourself?" scoffed Grandpa Choi. "Devil's daughter, indeed! Have you lost your mind?"

But all Inho could think about was how lovely Dajeong looked as she ambled in the garden. Sweet Dajeong…

"I'll tell you a secret, Harabeoji," he said. "Because of her, I lost my mind a long time ago."

At this, Grandpa's eyes turned red and became watery.

"Then… don't give up, Hyunchul," he muttered. "Go after her and keep her safe with you."

Outside, Dajeong was having a pleasant conversation with the Chairman.

"If I may be permitted to say, Chairman-nim… you seem like a very easy person to talk to, and I'm thankful for that."

Chairman Choi was pleased to hear this.

"I am grateful for your compliment, Nam Dajeong-ssi. Now, tell me if there is any reason why you shouldn't be with Inho-ssi?"

Dajeong gave him a strained laugh.

"To be honest, ever since I saw your gorgeous daughter at that charity gala, I was wondering if Kang Gwajang-nim shouldn't marry her instead?"

"Hmmm… But you are obviously better, because he prefers you."

Dajeong didn't quite know how to respond to that. Certainly she had never compared or thought of herself as being better than a socialite. But Chairman Choi could guess what she was thinking.

"My Yinna is a good girl, except that she has a streak of vanity in her character. But she's still young, so don't worry too much about her. I'd like to introduce you to her when she returns from Bali."

"Thank you, Chairman-nim. I would be honored."

The Chairman grinned as he spied Inho watching them from the window.

"It certainly seems that Kang Gwajang is anxious to marry you."

"Yes, and I am glad, but… I'm still trying to understand his urgency."

"Hmm… Perhaps I can offer you a clue. Reporter Nam, have you ever heard of a woman named Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis?"

"The sleek and stylish former American first lady? Of course!"

"You know your world history well. Tell me, why would the grieving widow of a popular president suddenly marry a Greek shipping tycoon? Take a guess."

Dajeong couldn't quite recall, so she took her phone out of her clutch and typed like mad to find out.

"Just a minute."

From the sunroom window, Inho wondered why Dajeong looked so solemn as she read her phone. Afterwards, she looked up at the Chairman.

"She was… afraid and tired of being hounded?"

The Chairman nodded. "Of course, your situation is not the same as hers... at least not yet. But now do you understand?"

"I think I do a little," said Dajeong.

"Good. As for me, I have something to give Inho-ssi, but I'd rather give it to both of you as a wedding gift."

"Chairman-nim, is it really true that he's inheriting a fortune?" she asked him.

The Chairman nodded.

"Yes, a good one."

Dajeong gazed at Inho's face through the sunroom window and pondered what Chairman Choi said.

#

Kwon Yul stood on his balcony and looked out at the city of Seoul as his heart ached. Lately, he did not know which woman he missed more, Nayoung or Dajeong?

He glanced at the phone in his hand which had Dajeong's number on the screen. Did he have an excuse, any excuse, just to call her? He wondered if she was still angry with him after their last dinner together?

After nearly dialing her number several times, he gave up and walked back inside.

#

Inho joined Dajeong in the garden with his hands in his pockets.

"Earlier, when I gave you my reasons for marrying me… reason seven was incorrect," he said.

"You wouldn't buy me a car, then?" asked Dajeong glumly. She had secretly fallen for that posh silver sedan.

Inho laughed. "I'd still buy you the car, but that would be reason number eight."

He stopped walking and took her hands in his. As he faced her, he spoke with such sincerity and affection that she found him difficult to resist.

"Reason number seven to marry me is… I will provide Dajeong-ssi with a place where she can belong forever. A place where no one will be able to remove her from it."

"Forever?" her lip quivered. "Forever with you?"

He nodded and gently wiped away the tears that were now falling from her lashes.

"Forever with me."

These last words of his sealed the deal for her. She fell into his arms, sobbing, and he held her tight as they stood beside Grandpa's purple irises.

#

It was Dajeong's idea to have an impromptu wedding in Grandpa Choi's garden after Inho had expressed his wish to marry her "right away."

"I know it's not possible, but… I wish I could," he said.

"Good idea. Why not?" she replied matter-of-factly.

He stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Did you just… agree?"

"You said you would protect me for the rest of my life," said Dajeong as she watched his reaction. "Why not start now?"

"What a practical girl. I can see why you like her, Inho," said the Chairman, who had overheard their exchange as he approached them.

At this, Dajeong guffawed.

"Me, practical?"

"She's usually the flighty one," teased Inho. "Anyway, we can go to the district office first thing in the morning to register our marriage. We'll plan a big wedding later. Does Dajeong-ssi agree?"

"Yes, but…" Dajeong replied as she glanced out at the garden wistfully. Her eye had caught sight of that ornate wrought iron dome on top of the Italian stone gazebo that stood amidst the flowers.

"Chairman-nim, may I borrow your garden for a short time this afternoon? It won't take long," she requested.

"It's actually my abeoji's garden, so you'll have to ask him," said the Chairman as he glanced in Grandpa's direction.

Dajeong went up to Grandpa Choi and gave him her cutest grin.

"Please, Harabeoji, can we use your garden this afternoon?"

"Of course, my dear," said Grandpa.

"Uwa, Abeoji usually doesn't allow anyone to use the garden for anything!" remarked a surprised Chairman.

"Thank you," said Dajeong as she bowed. "It won't take long at all. I just wanted to pray and make a few promises to my future…" she snuck a glance at Inho. "Husband."

That word jolted Inho, who was nevertheless ecstatic to hear it from her lips.

"Right... No need for anything fancy right now," he added.

Chairman Choi gave a hearty laugh.

"That's what you two think. But I'm going to make sure that everything is done properly, even if it's just in 15 minutes."

Now Dajeong and Inho gave each other a worried look.

#

In Chairman Choi's parlor, all of the household staff gathered around to hear an important announcement from their boss.

"Everyone, I want to thank you for your hard work this week, so I am giving you the rest of the day off. You are all dismissed until seven o'clock tomorrow morning. Now, go and have fun!" he said cheerily.

His staff exchanged glances. It was obvious that this announcement was a shock to them, so the Chairman quickly revised it.

"Oh, and I forgot… it's a paid leave. Don't worry, you'll all be paid for the day."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and smiles appeared on several faces.

"But why, Chairman-nim?" asked one of the cooks.

"Private family time. Don't worry, we'll survive on your excellent leftovers," he replied with a mischievous grin. "Now, please leave in the next 10 minutes. Doctors say I must sunbathe once in awhile while the sun's rays are still strong," he said as he pointed to the sky.

Slowly, the staff dispersed except for the butler, Mr. Kim, who remained by his master's side. He and the Chairman waited until everyone waved their goodbyes and left, and then Mr. Kim glanced at his watch.

"Mayor Shim will be here in an hour."

"Good. What other details do we need to take care of?"

"The jeweler will be making his delivery in 20 minutes, and Honorary Chairman-nim is working on the bouquet. The groom has completed the registration form and is borrowing one of your ties. I tested the outdoor sound system, and I have your camera ready."

"This is the first time we've ever used that new backyard sound system," said the Chairman. "How is the bride?"

"She was a bit nervous borrowing Samonim's jewelry, but I reassured her that everything would be quick and casual, and that put her at ease."

"Very good, Butler Kim. You shall have all of tomorrow off in return for helping me today," said the Chairman, who was pleased with his loyal aide.

"Actually, it was a good idea to dismiss all of the servants, Chairman-nim. I've been wanting to inform you of a discovery that I made."

"What is it?"

"I suspect that one of the maids is a spy."

"A spy? I thought we did thorough background checks?" asked a surprised Chairman.

"I tested my theory by feeding false information to her. Later, Reporter Byun told me Chairman Na got wind of the same information and repeated it back to him," the butler grinned. "She's actually quite handy for spreading misinformation, but she'll probably tell Chairman Na about your strange dismissal today."

"Did she see our couple?"

"I don't think so. They had her working hard with her head down in the kitchen this time."

The Chairman was relieved.

"Drop that person a tidbit that I am medically required to sunbathe in the nude once in awhile, and be extra kind to her. Maybe she will change her ways. Keep me informed."

"Yes, Chairman-nim," said Mr. Kim with a bow.

#

An hour later, the sun's golden rays shone lower on the western horizon, tinting Chairman Choi's green yard with a warm hue. Inside the house, Butler Kim pressed on the screen of a tablet computer. Softly, Bach's _Air on a G String_ started playing over the yard's hidden loudspeakers.

District Mayor Shim, an amiable middle-aged woman who wore red and carried a black folder, walked up the garden path, followed by Inho. A few feet away, _click, click, click_, Chairman Choi snapped pictures of them with his 100,000,000 Won top-of-the-line camera.

They stepped into Grandpa Choi's Italian gazebo and positioned themselves to wait for the bride. Dressed in his black suit, Inho wore a violet tie with a fresh iris pinned to his lapel as a boutonniere. He put his hands together and anxiously waited for Dajeong to appear.

The Chairman turned his camera toward the house when the music changed to Pachelbel's _Canon in D Major_.

Dressed in a gray suit with a red bowtie, Grandpa Choi came out of the house with Dajeong on his arm. Inho watched in awe as his bride walked down the garden path toward him. With a radiant face, she clutched a bouquet of fresh purple and yellow irises that Grandpa had made for her.

Dajeong was wearing the same lace dress, but with an added floor-length lace-trimmed tulle overskirt that made it look like a traditional wedding gown. Her violet sash was neatly tied around her waist and hung down gracefully at her side. With her tresses in a low, loose chignon, a thin, jewel-encrusted headband made her look like she was wearing stars in her hair. Below her chignon, a long, thin wisp of a bridal veil trailed down to the ground. Small, delicate pearl-drop diamond earrings completed her look.

Kang Inho had never seen her look this heavenly before, not even at her church wedding to Kwon Yul. Silently, he vowed to etch her bridal image in his heart, so he wouldn't forget. He took Dajeong's hand as Grandpa offered it to him, and then they faced Mayor Shim.

The mayor, who was also a lay minister at her church, said a simple prayer of blessing upon them as a choral rendition of _Panis Angelicus_ played softly in the background.

"Dear God, we pray for these two young people, who have come to pledge their love and commitment to each other. We ask that you bless their union. Amen."

Inho barely remembered what Mayor Shim said next, but when he turned to face his bride, he was all ears.

Dajeong gripped her bouquet a little tighter as she gathered her wits in order to speak.

"I promise to be my husband and guardian angel's helper, to keep him standing in the light, and far from the dark. I will walk with him on our life's journey together as his friend, his companion, and his wife."

Inho teared up as he said his own heartfelt words to her.

"I promise to always be my wife's guardian angel; to be a shelter that protects her and a safe place for her to lean on. All that I have, my material possessions and my heart, I give to her."

Grandpa cleared his throat and handed them each a handkerchief, which they accepted. The bride and groom both dabbed at their eyes.

All smiles, Mayor Shim pronounced them married. The Chairman took a nice picture of the couple's silhouette as they embraced and touched their foreheads.

As Butler Kim played Bach's _Cantata No. 208_, _"Sheep May Safely Graze"_, he smiled as he recalled its simple words.

_Sheep may safely graze_

_where a good shepherd watches._

_Where rulers govern well_

_we may feel peace and rest_

_and what makes countries happy._

#

"Look at each other, you two!" Chairman Choi hollered at Inho and Dajeong as he took pictures of them in the garden.

By now Inho had taken off his jacket and was wearing only his vest and tie, with his sleeves rolled up. He had a purple iris pinned near his left shoulder, and looked very dashing as he grinned from ear to ear.

Inho leaned forward to kiss Dajeong's cheek.

"Perfect!" yelled their photographer.

"Ajusshi! That wasn't a pose!" Inho yelled back, laughing.

"I know," said the Chairman as he reviewed the shot. "Just a few more!"

Dajeong smiled as she fingered the small, delicate bouquet of irises in her left hand.

"That's right! Hold those flowers still so I can get a shot!" yelled the Chairman as he took a picture. "By the way, Groom, aren't you going to kiss your bride on the lips? Give me a good shot of your kiss, huh?"

Inho laughed.

"Not in front of you, Chairman-nim," he replied. "I would be too uncomfortable."

"Right now I'm not Chairman-nim. I'm photographer-nim. Come on!"

Dajeong giggled as Inho leaned in, looking like he was about to touch lips with her, when suddenly he changed direction and kissed her cheek instead.

"Yah!" yelled Chairman Choi as he lowered his camera.

"Sorry, Ajusshi, but I just can't!" chuckled Inho as he put his arm around Dajeong.

"Aish! Think of your bride, not me!"

Inho turned to her and pursed his lips as he spoke.

"Does Dajeong-ssi really want me to do it?"

Dajeong nodded with an impish grin.

"All right, then," Inho consented. Very slowly, he leaned in and gave her a tender kiss on the lips as their eyes fluttered shut.

Chairman Choi captured the moment and nodded his approval.

"Ah, sweetest kiss ever."

Back at the house, in a guest bedroom, Dajeong's phone was buzzing beside her clutch, which she had left on the bed. On the screen was a call from Kwon Yul.

Meanwhile, Grandpa Choi entered the yard with Mayor Shim, who had the marriage registration papers.

"Mayor-nim, thank you for doing us this favor. Please keep what happened today confidential until they announce it."

"Of course! It's my pleasure. And don't worry, everything is already registered and approved by me," she replied as they approached the happy couple.

"Mayor Shim is leaving," Grandpa announced.

Photographer and couple alike stopped to say their farewells. Smiling, Mayor Shim handed Inho the papers. Inho shook her hand enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Mayor-nim, for coming and helping us."

"It was nice meeting you, Kang Gwajang. I look forward to working with you in the future."

She shook Dajeong's hand next.

"And you too, Madame Nam. I'm sure I will see you again."

Dajeong opened her mouth to object to being called "madame", but then she thought better of it.

"Thank you, Mayor-nim. Goodbye."

"I'll walk you out," offered Inho. "This way I can update you on Candidate Kwon's campaign positions."

"I would be honored, Kang Gwajang," she replied.

Inho gave Dajeong with a big grin.

"I'll be back, Madame Nam," he teased his wife.

As she watched them leave, the Chairman came up beside Dajeong.

"Did you ever see him so happy? I think he's overjoyed," he remarked.

"Thank you, Chairman-nim. But can I ask you something?"

"Ask me."

"Why do you and Harabeoji like Kang Gwajang-nim so much?"

"Good question, Reporter Nam. Personally, I like your husband, but from the start he was loved on account of his harabeoji's relationship with my father."

"Oh?" Dajeong raised an eyebrow.

"But I'm sure that we'll like him more as we get to know him better. And you, too."

"Ajusshi, so far you are one of the kindest, most generous people I know," said Dajeong as she offered him her hand. "It's an honor to make your acquaintance."

The Chairman shook it.

"Same here, Dajeong-ssi."

"Thank you for setting all of this up. I still can't believe you got Mayor Shim to come out and officiate our wedding!"

"I helped her get elected," said the Chairman. "Don't worry. This was a great opportunity for me to see how much clout I still have if I need to call in some favors. I'm glad it was successful."

Outside the Chairman's front gate, Inho waved to Mayor Shim as she drove away. He glanced at his phone. A text message from Reporter Byun appeared on the screen.

"Advanced copy of article on you and Dajeong. Discuss strategy tonight?"

Inho thought for a moment before he texted back his answer.

"I'm going on a trip tonight and won't be back until Tuesday afternoon. I'll see you then."

He sent the message and turned off his phone as he went back inside the Chairman's house.

At his office, Reporter Byun read the text and wondered, "A trip? How can he go on a trip at a time like this?"

But back at the garden, Inho was happy just to receive his bride in his arms as they danced for the first time.


End file.
